The Days of Our Lives
by Kihonne
Summary: Dani's life is relatively boring. Wake up, go to school, go to the comic book shop, go home, sleep, do it all again. Nothing out of the ordinary has ever really happened to her. That is, until her, her older brother, and their best friend accidently discover a secret hospital for superheroes! This story follows her, Kaz, and Oliver as they deal with this major change to their lives
1. Saving The People Who Save People Part 1

**Kihonne: Hey everyone. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Kihonne, and this is my latest story, The Days of Our Lives, featuring my newest OC, Dani! So, usually, I take shows like this and add in a few characters, simply because there are some changes I feel need to be made. I already did this for Lab Rats (if you haven't read it, I suggest you check out The Lab Assistant), and with the new series Elite Force out, I felt that I should do the same for Mighty Med. It should be interesting – usually, I focus more on the more dramatic parts of a series, but Mighty Med is so light-hearted that it'll be a nice change of pace for me. Anyway, I don't want to waste much more of your time, so let's get onto the first chapter, shall we?**

 **Oliver: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns her OC, Dani, and anything else you don't recognize from the series.**

 **Xxx**

 **Oliver's POV**

It was an ordinary Sunday afternoon, much like every Sunday afternoon. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and as per usual, I was spending the afternoon at the local comic book store with my two favorite people in the world: Kaz and Dani.

"Okay, Kaz," I looked up at my best friend. The dark-haired fifteen year old guy glanced up at me for a moment, "Would you rather have Freeze Frame's power to stop time but you have to talk like a chicken, or Tecton's immunity to pain, but you'd have to wear a diaper."

"Oh, I'd wear a diaper, for two reasons" Kaz decided, "Number one…and number two."

I smirked and fist bumped him before glancing over my shoulder. "What about you, Dani? A pain-free, diaper-wearing life, or a chicken-talking, time-stopping one?"

"I'm with Kaz on the diaper thing." My twin sister replied, looking up from the stack of comic books she'd been examining. Her auburn hair, styled in a straight slanted bob that ended just below her jaw line, was in her face again, though it didn't seem to bother her. "The diapers would just save so much time too."

"Agreed," Kaz grinned. Suddenly, he caught sight of one of the props that were for sale. "Guys, there it is," He walked over to a display case, picking up a miniature meteorite on a stick, "the Meteorite of Zandor."

"It's the source of Tecton's immeasurable powers." Dani sighed, looking at it with envious, forest green eyes, "It's so cool."

"I have to have this," Kaz agreed, "Hidden in the Earth's core for millions of years, forged from a supernova in the Balazar Galaxy-"

"It says made in Taiwan," I pointed out.

"Well, I still want it," Kaz replied, glancing at the price tag, "But I'll never be able to afford it."

"Everything here is way over-priced," Dani complained.

"Yes, but we can still pose with it," I pointed out. Both of them grinned at the idea.

"Commemorative fake photo?" Kaz suggested. Dani and I posed with the meteorite while Kaz pretended to take a picture of the three of us. Most people think it's weird that we take these photos, but it was kinda our thing, so we didn't care what they thought.

"Dude, you blinked!" Dani accused, pretending to look at the photo Kaz took.

Suddenly, the sound of someone clearing their throat caught our attention. We looked up to see Wallace and Clyde, the two owners of the comic book store, standing in front of us. There were twins, like Dani and I, except they were identical. Hell, they even had identical haircuts. The only way to tell them apart was that Clyde wears glasses and Wallace does not.

"We'll take that, thank you," Wallace said, taking the prop out of Kaz's hands and handing it to his brother.

"Guys," Clyde began in that condescending tone of his, "you know the rules in this shop."

"Yeah," Wallace agreed, "Rule number one: no touching the merchandise."

"Rule number two: no mistaking us for each other. I'm Clyde," Clyde commented.

"And I'm Wallace," Wallace added.

"It's not that hard," Clyde insisted.

"Rule number three: if you need to use the restroom, please don't go in the Cauldron of Krepulan." Wallace finished as Clyde held up the plastic cauldron.

"That was one time!" Kaz snapped defensively. Wallace and Clyde looked at him pointedly. "Okay, twice."

They walked away after that, taking both the Cauldron of Krepulan and the Meteorite of Zandor with them.

"Hey Jordan." Dani headed over to the video game consoles, where our friend Jordan was busy playing.

"Shh." The blonde haired girl whispered, not taking her eyes off the screen. "I'm trailing this majestic unicorn. It's the last one in the entire land."

"Sounds lame." Dani commented, sounding bored.

"Boom!" Jordan shouted suddenly as her character swung an axe down on the unicorn's neck. "Cut off its head!"

"Okay, now I'm interested." My sister grinned. "Aw, look! It's blood is made of rainbows."

Kaz chuckled, then turned to Jordan. "Look, Jordan, we have to talk to you about our robot project for science day tomorrow."

"Yeah, the four of us are working on, right?" Jordan confirmed. We all exchanged glances.

"Yep, it will be just the four of us. You, me, Kaz, and Dani…" I looked away. "…and Gus."

Jordan stared at us. "What? Gus? No, no, no!" She protested. "Absolutely not!"

"We're sorry, but he is our friend." I reminded her.

"Besides, we kinda felt bad for him because no one else wanted him in their group." Dani added.

"Yeah, for the same reason no one wants a dead fish in their bed." Jordan agreed. "They both smell like dead fish!"

"We'll make him wear an air freshener?" Dani suggested, trying to be helpful. Jordan rolled her eyes.

"Look, if I don't get an A on this project, my parents won't let me play video games for a year." She informed us. "And if I can't chop of unicorn heads then…who am I?"

"We promise you, we'll keep Gus under control." I assured her. "He won't say a word."

Kaz and Dani both looked at me incredulously. "Really, where are we going to get a muzzle?" Kaz demanded.

"Fine, just keep him away from me." Jordan insisted.

"Now we have to get a leash?" Dani protested.

"This is becoming a nightmare!" Kaz complained.

"We'll take care of it." I promised Jordan. She nodded and went back to her video games. Suddenly, Dani gasped.

"Oh, Ollie." She sang, put her arm on my shoulder. She pointed past me, towards the cardboard cutouts. "Look who it is."

I gasped, looking at one particular cardboard cut-out in awe. "It's Skylar Storm!" I exclaimed, running over to the cutout. It was of a young woman wearing a black and pink uniform with a silver lightning bolt on her chest. Her dark was flowing out past her shoulders, as if it were caught in the breeze, the single, thick, pink streak visible for all to see. "She's my favorite comic book superhero! She has twenty-four superpowers, including x-ray vision, so she can see how big my heart is."

Kaz and Dani smirked at each other, and my best friend grabbed the cardboard cutout, moving it around slightly.

"Oh, Oliver," Kaz said in a higher pitch, pretending to be her, "Come here and kiss me, but be careful because you know I'm made of cardboard."

He began making kissing noises, pushing the cardboard cutout towards me.

"Kaz, Kaz, stop!" I exclaimed, pushing it away. "You heard Wallace and Clyde; no touching the merchandise."

"Oh, it's fine." Kaz rolled his eyes, even as Dani took the cardboard cutout from him.

"What's the worst that can happen?" My sister questioned, placing the cutout down. It tipped over and hit the nearby toy gun, which shot a dart into the air. The dart hit a large UFO that was hanging from the ceiling and it broke in two, the top half remaining tied to the ceiling, while the bottom half fell onto Kaz and I, trapping us together.

Dani looked at us, shocked. "Aside from that, I mean."

 **Dani's POV**

"And the award for the most humiliated people in the emergency room goes to the boys stuck in the flying saucer." Oliver complained. Kaz laughed.

"Take that guy with his hand stuck in the gumball machine!" He cheered, nodding at said kid. I walked around Kaz so that I could face my brother.

"Ollie, I've apologized like a hundred times." I told him, my tone apologetic. "But c'mon, when has something like this ever happened?"

"Do you want me to answer that?" Oliver challenged.

"No." I sighed, knowing he was right.

"This is so typical!" Oliver complained, even as Kaz turned them both around, his eyes focused on a man in a trench coat. "You two always do these crazy things and expect me to just follow you!"

"Hold that thought and follow me!" Kaz exclaimed, following the trench-coated man as the stranger walked into a storage closet.

"Where're we going?" I questioned, following Kaz as he drag Oliver along with him.

"The guy who just walked into this closer – I think he was the Blue Tornado!" My best friend exclaimed.

"You mean the superhero who can spin at the speed of sound?" I exclaimed, eyes wide.

"And who is make-believe?" Oliver added.

"Have an imagination, Ollie." I scolded gently.

"I know it doesn't make any sense, but it looked exactly like him." Kaz insisted. "The same crooked nose, the same scar on his cheek, he even had a wispy beard!"

"Well, so does my grandmother!" Oliver pointed out. I nodded in agreement, then reached forward and pulled open the door to the closet. I followed the boys in, only to discover that the room was completely empty. The only things in there were a bunch of brooms and mops, and a shelf with cleaning supplies and a toilet plunger.

"Kaz, there's no one in here." I pointed out the obvious.

"I-I don't get it." He looked around in confusion. "I saw him go in here."

"Well, maybe one of his powers is to turn himself into a roll of one-ply toilet paper." Oliver exclaimed, grabbing a roll from the shelf. "Now, enough damage has been done today, so can we please just go."

"Fine." Kaz agreed. He tried to open the door, but only managed to hit me by accident. I stumbled forward, hitting the saucer that surrounded them.

"Hey!" Oliver exclaimed, reaching forward to grab hold of something to stop them both from falling. He managed to grab the toilet plunger, but to my surprise, it didn't fall off the shelf when he grabbed it. In fact, the moment he hit the handle, a bright blue screen appeared on the wall opposite of the door, strange symbols appearing on it in a 5x5 grid.

"Whoa." I stared at it in surprise. Oliver and I exchanged looks, stunned.

"Check it out!" My twin exclaimed.

"I know!" Kaz chuckled. Because Oliver was facing the screen, Kaz was forced to face the other way due to the way they'd been trapped in the flying saucer. "My mom has this exact same mop."

"No, look!" I pushed the boys around so that Kaz could see the screen too. "It's some sort of puzzle."

"I think I know what it is." Oliver turned around again, already reaching out to touch the screen.

"Is it the maze where you have to help the rabbit find its carrot?" Kaz questioned as Oliver switched pieces of the grid with each other, creating an image. "Because if so, you're on your own. Those things are impossible."

Oliver finished the image, revealing what it was supposed to look like: a silver stick with two snakes wrapped around it, and a large capital M on the top, the letter surrounded by a circle. "It's the symbol of Caduceo, the legendary healer of superheroes." I realized, recognizing the symbol from my comic books.

Kaz spun him and Oliver around so that he could see. "Oh, it says 'enter.'" He announced as the word appeared in bold, green letters.

"I guess the big decision here is," Oliver commented as Kaz pushed the button, "whether or not to push the button…You want to push it, don't you?"

"He already did." I replied, stepping back as a bright, white, vertical line appeared on the wall. The wall suddenly opened up like a set of sliding doors, revealing to us the strangest sight.

Behind the wall was another emergency room, but not like any one I'd ever seen. There were a bunch of people in here, some wearing purple or pink scrubs, but many more of them were wearing strange costumes. The costumes you'd expect a superhero like Blue Tornado to wear. The room itself looked normal, though, all except for the giant red M on the far wall.

"Guys? Where are we?" I questioned, looking around in amazement.

"Look at this place!" Kaz gasped, pointing at the guy in the trench coat. The man quickly spun like a twister, removing the trench coat. "That's Blue Tornado!"

"And that's Solar Flare!" I exclaimed, gesturing at the blonde-haired woman as fire burst from her hands.

"And there's Incognito with his power of invisibility!" Kaz shouted, pointing at where a man in a white lab coat was examining…well, we assumed that there was an invisible person there, but we couldn't see him, so we couldn't be sure. "This…this must be some kind of secret superhero hospital."

"No, no that's impossible." Oliver objected, though it was clear that even he thought that this was place was incredible. "Superheroes don't exist. That's crazy!"

Suddenly, a guy sitting in a nearby wheelchair sneezed, and an actual rocket shot out of his nose. I ducked as it flew over my head and hit the flying saucer that was surrounding Kaz and Oliver. The saucer cracked in two and fell to the ground, releasing them. "No, that's crazy." I corrected.

"We've been reading about superheroes our wholes lives and it turns out they're real?" Oliver exclaimed, eyes wide. "My entire world has been turned upside down!"

"Not as much as hers." Kaz pointed at one of the superheroes in the room who was floating upside down in midair while she did her nails.

"Cool." I smirked, just as a set of doors behind us swung open, two nurses pushing a gurney in.

"Incoming! Incoming! Make a path, people!" The tall one shouted in a scrawny voice. "I've got a non-responsive hero! Temperature is 4000 degrees Fahrenheit, and he's oozing weird blue glowing stuff that tastes like hummus! This dude needs medical attention stat!"

"Hey, that's the Crusher, the strongest man in the universe." Kaz realized, recognizing the man on the gurney.

"Hey!" I called to the tall nurse. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's going into cardiac arrest, people!" The nurse shouted, ripping open the Crusher's shirt. He stopped and shook his head at the sight of his abs. "Okay, he and I have the same personal trainer. How is that possible?"

"Clear!" A nearby doctor shouted before hitting the Crusher with defibrillators. Nothing happened.

"He's dying! We have to do something!" Oliver exclaimed. I looked at him.

"What are we supposed to do?" I demanded, confused. "We're not doctors!"

"Hold on, Dani." Kaz stopped me. "If the Crusher's real, then maybe everything we've read is real too."

"What happened in the latest issue?" Oliver demanded.

"He'd just returned from the planet…Embreyon, I think." I replied, thinking fast.

"Where the gravity is forty times that of Earth." Kaz added, thinking.

"He's crashing!" The doctor shouted in the background, once again trying and failing to revive The Crusher.

"Uh, maybe the extreme gravity pulled his heart from his chest down to his feet!" Oliver exclaimed. Now, according to the laws of physics, that was impossible. But if we were going by comic book laws…

"They're shocking the wrong place!" I exclaimed. Kaz turned around and snatched the defibrillators out of a blonde nurse's hands.

"Kaz!" I shouted, stunned. We weren't doctors! We weren't supposed to mess around with that kind of stuff.

"Clear!' Kaz shouted before shocking the Crusher on the soles of his feet. The Crusher gasped, sitting right up with a confused look on his face.

The doctors and nurses stepped back, clapping with relief. One of the doctors high-fived the Crusher, only to get thrown back across the room from the strength behind the hand slap.

"Thank you, nurse." Kaz handed the defibrillators back to the nurse, smirking at her charmingly. "I'll need the Henderson X-rays in my office. Oh, and I'll need an office."

"Kaz, what are you doing?" Oliver demanded, pulling Kaz away. "We're not doctors."

"You're not?" The tall nurse looked at us. "Guards!"

"Oh, no. We're not guards either." Kaz told him. I turned around and noticed three very tall, very strong looking men in uniforms standing behind us.

"No, but they are." I told Kaz and my brother, backing up slightly. The guards walked over to us, grabbing us each by our shoulders.

"Commemorative terrified fake photo?" Kaz suggested, holding up his hand to take an imaginative photo. We all looked at the imaginary camera, terrified, before the guards pulled us out of the emergency room.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Hey, c'mon! We were just screwing around!" "We saved that guy's life!" "You're wrinkling my shirt!" We protested as they pushed us down an empty hallway. They shoved us into a nearby, dark room, closing the doors tightly behind us.

"Take it easy! My mom just ironed this shirt!" Kaz complained as the doors closed. Dani looked at me, her face illuminated by the faint red light coming from a sign above the door.

"What do you think they're going to do to us?" She questioned, biting her lip worriedly. Kaz glanced up at the sign.

"It says 'Now you die'!" He exclaimed, horrified.

"Do you think they mean one of you, or me?" I questioned. Kaz looked at me.

"Well, it says you." He pointed out.

"Silence!" A deep voice shouted suddenly, making us all jump. "You have trespassed in my hospital, and for that, the punishment is-"

"Alan?" The doors opened and a man in a lab coat walked in. He was tall, with dark hair and a goatee.

"The punishment is Alan!" I screamed, horrified. Who was Alan? Probably some evil and powerful bad guy who wanted to kill us, right?

The man in the lab coat hit a light switch and the lights flickered on, revealing to us what looked like a cafeteria. He looked up at the sign above the door.

"Stupid sign!" He muttered before hitting the wall harshly. The blow reactivated some of the lights on the sign, changing the message from 'Now you die' to 'Know your diet facts'.

"Oh, know your diet facts." I breathed a sigh of relief. "That's far less scary."

"Alan, what are you doing in the cafeteria?" The man questioned, looking past us. I turned to see a boy in a sweater vest, perhaps a year younger than us, with curly black hair sitting at one of the tables. He was holding up a coffee mug, presumably to help disguise his voice.

"Nothing, Uncle Horace." The boy replied nervously.

"Is that my mug?" The man, Horace, exclaimed before holding out his hand. "Send it over."

Alan sighed, but raised one hand and the mug flew from his grasp, slowly floating over to his uncle. "Cool." I laughed in amazement. Telekinesis.

"World's Sexiest Chief of Staff and Vice Chancellor of Medical Administration." Horace read off his coffee mug. "I bought this at a gas station – what are the odds?"

He placed the mug down on a table and finally turned towards us. "I'm Dr. Horace Diaz, head of this hospital. Who are you and what can you do?"

We all exchanged looks, not wanting to be the first one to speak. "Well, I'm Kaz, and I can do this." Kaz grabbed a tissue out of a tissue box and placed it over his face before sticking his tongue out, creating a tear in the tissue.

"Anybody can do that." Horace told him. "I meant, what are your powers?"

"We don't have any powers." Dani told him honestly. Alan jumped to his feet dramatically.

"WHAT?" He shouted. "You're Normos! Normos can't know about Mighty Med! I'm going to get a Normo cage!"

Alan tried to storm out, but Horace stopped him in his tracks. Literally. "Not so fast." He snapped, raising a hand. Alan stopped instantly, as if he were frozen.

"Can you teach me how to do that to mother?" Dani questioned, eyes bright with excitement. Despite the fact that we were clearly in a lot of trouble, she was still enjoying this. Typical.

"The Crusher is one of our most important heroes, and you saved his life. How did you know that his heart wasn't in his chest?" Horace questioned.

"Well, I thought that the super-gravity on Embreyon might have pulled his heart down to his feet." I explained.

"That's very clever. You figured that out faster than our best doctors, even Dr. Brainhead, and his entire head is a brain." Horace exclaimed. Dani smirked.

"Well, we pretty much eat, drink, and breathe superheroes." She told him, proud.

"Literally. This morning I had a bowl of a Honey Nut Blue Tornado Os." I added.

"A true fan. I love this guy!" Horace smiled appreciatively. "We might be able to use somebody like you around here."

Suddenly, a weird muffled noise came from behind us. "What's that noise?" Kaz asked, confused.

"Oh, right, Alan." Horace snapped his fingers and Alan unfroze.

"We can't have Normos here!" He protested. "I heard that if you touch them, your butt falls off!"

"That's not true!" Horace snapped before looking at us worriedly. "That's not true, is it?"

"Um, no." Dani replied, raised an eyebrow at them.

"Oh, good." He sighed in relief. "Because without a butt, what would I shake on the dance floor?"

I looked at him, remembering what he's been saying just before Alan's interruption. "So, you want us to work here?"

"Not us. You." He corrected before looking at Dani and Kaz distastefully. "Your friends seem a bit…off."

I looked to see Dani and Kaz fiddling with a strange silver cuff they'd put around Kaz's arm.

"I wonder what this button does…" Kaz hummed, pressing the button. Suddenly, his arm transformed into a chainsaw. Both Kaz and Dani screamed, the latter jumping back out of harm's way. Kaz hastened to push the button again, and his arm turned back to normal.

They exchanged looks. "That was…awesome!" "My turn!" They both exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

"I think they just proved my point." Horace told me, looking at them. He pointed at me. "You with me." He walked over to my sister and my best friend. "You two, do you happen to know if you take small or medium Normo cages?"

"What, no! We want to work here too!" Kaz protested. Dani nodded.

"We know just as much about superheroes as he does!" She agreed before looking at me pleadingly. "Right, Ollie?"

"Yeah, back us up, man." Kaz nodded.

"Yeah, they're great." I agreed, putting my arms on their shoulders. "And we're a package deal."

Horace hummed in consideration, looking us over. "…Okay, I'll give you kids a trial run."

"Yes! We get to work with real superheroes!" I exclaimed, high-fiving both Dani and Kaz.

"I can't wait to tell Gus, Jordan, and Barry about this place." Dani beamed.

"Are you crazy? You can't tell anyone about Mighty Med! It's a top secret hospital!" Alan told us smugly. Horace looked at him.

"Alan, stop interrupting." He scolded before turning back to us. "Are you crazy? You can't tell anyone about Mighty Med! It's a top secret hospital!"

"Yes sir." Dani agreed, though it was clear that she was disappointed.

"And another thing: if either of them mess up, I'm holding you responsible." Horace added, looking directly at me. I nodded nervously and watched as he and his nephew left the room. I turned to Dani and Kaz.

"You hear that? No goofing around, guys. Do not Kaz this up for me." I told them.

"Absolutely." Dani promised, while Kaz just looked confused.

"Wait, why is it 'Kaz this up' instead of 'Dani this up'?" He questioned.

"See, 'to Kaz something up' is to screw something up because you were screwing around, but to 'Dani something up' is to fail at doing something, but after you actually tried." Dani explained.

"Like all your math tests?" Kaz questioned. Dani nodded.

"And the science ones." She agreed before looking at the table. She grabbed a device off the table. "Ooh, I wonder what this button does."

"Let's see." Kaz took it from her and pressed the button, then looked at the device in disappointment. "Nothing."

Suddenly, a virtual saw blade appeared from the device, coming towards me. "Ah! Not nothing! Not nothing!"

Dani quickly turned off the device. "See? That is an example of Kazzing something up."

 **Dani's POV**

After Oliver made us put the virtual saw watch thingy away, we followed Horace back out to the Emergency Room, where he showed us some of the cool tools they used on a daily basis. Then, he showed us a special television channel, where a woman in a red mask was doing a news broadcast.

"Superhero News Network has learned that the reign of terror is the work of super villain, Megahertz, who refused to be interviewed for this story." She announced. A picture of the villain, a half-human, half-titanium cyborg, appeared next to her. "He did, however, issue this statement: Bwah-ha-ha, ha-ha."

"Superhero News Network: I've never seen this channel before." Kaz commented.

"Of course you haven't. It's exclusively for superheroes, whereas Supermundo is exclusively for Spanish speaking superheroes." Horace explained. I nodded thoughtfully; it did make sense. "Now, let we show you kids around. This," he walked us over to a weird looking device, "is a web detangilizer. It's for our arachnid-based superheroes."

"This is a molecular devaporizer." He continued, showing us a kind of ray gun. "A lot of people get vaporized in this business."

"Cool." I smirked, excited.

"This," Horace moved on. He gestured at a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. At least, I think that was the correct bridge. I wasn't the best at geography…or most classes, for that matter, "is a picture of a bridge. I love bridges! Follow me."

He led us down the hall, just past the cafeteria, to another room. It was moderately sized, with a bunch of work out equipment in one corner. Weights, an Air Elliptical and Exercise Bike just like the one from our school's weight room, a stair climber, and other sorts of exercise equipment. There was also a few items that you wouldn't expect to see in a gym, like the massive red and yellow target on the far wall, or the weird circular area near the back of the room that was surrounded by light blue and grey walls. On the other side of the room, closer to the doors we'd just walked through was a couch, a couple of arm chairs, a coffee table, and a refrigerator, along with a flat screen TV monitor on the wall. "This is our rec room," Horace explained, "where recovering superheroes work on strengthening powers and honing super skills."

"Wait, I'm confused." I stopped him, frowning. "If superheroes are real, and out there saving the world, how come we never see you guys?"

"It's combination of things. Sometimes, we erase the memories of Normos who witness our heroics." I suddenly got a text from Jordan and quickly looked down at my phone, smirking at what she had sent. "Usually we don't need to, since most of you are too busy looking down at your phones all the time."

I looked up at the same time as the boys, as they were preoccupied with their cell phones too. "Plus, some of are invisible. And sometimes, we do things so fast, you don't even see it. Like how Kaz and I just switched outfits."

We all glanced at Kaz, but he was still wearing the red and black shirt and pair of jeans he'd walked in here with. "No, we didn't." Kaz pointed out. Horace smirked.

"Or did we?" He pulled out a photo, and showed it to us. He and Kaz were standing beside each other, Kaz looking confused and Horace grinning at the camera. Horace was in Kaz' clothing, and Kaz was wearing Horace's clothing.

"Wicked." Kaz grinned.

"Wait, if you guys act in secret, why are there superhero comics and graphic novels?" Ollie asked, pointing out the obvious.

"We chronicle our adventures and sell them to the public to finance this hospital, The League of Heroes, and The Bowling League of Heroes," Horace replied before pulling three small pieces of plastic, each about the size of a pea, out of his pockets. He handed them to us, "Here are your MM-200 communicators. I'll contact you when I need you."

"Look at the size of these things." Kaz cooed, examining his communicator.

"I know; sorry they're so bulky," Horace apologized, "The MM-200-S will be much smaller, and have new funky ringtones."

"Ooh." I smiled, beaming. This was so cool!

"Man, look at all this cool stuff." Kaz looked around after shoving his communicator in his pocket. He walked over to a nearby table and picked up a metal bowl. "I wonder what this is. Some kind of high-tech memory restorer?" He guessed, placing the bowl on his head.

Ollie and I exchanged looks. "That's a bedpan." Ollie told him.

"Ew!" Kaz cried, throwing the bedpan as far away from him as possible. It hit the ground near the boots of one of the superheroes, a tall, brown haired girl in a pink and black uniform. There was a silver lightning bolt on her chest, and a very short black leather vest around her. "Sup girl." Kaz flirted immediately, before he even recognized her from her comics. But Ollie sure did.

"Wait." Ollie stopped her from walking away, a look of pure adoration on his face. "You're Skylar Storm."

"No way!" I exclaimed as the girl, Skylar, smiled at us. "Dude, you were just making out with a cardboard cutout of her."

"No I wasn't!" Ollie hissed, glaring at me pointedly. I merely smirked, amused by his reaction. He turned around and shook Skylar's hand. "Hi, I'm Oliver. I'm a big fan of your work. You have so many amazing powers."

"Had so many amazing powers." She corrected bitterly. "Yesterday, I was ambushed by the Annihilator. He neutralized my powers, stole my invisible flying motorcycle, and he even stole my costume! He left me just standing there, in my underwear."

Ollie's face went distant for a moment as he imagined that very scene. Skylar rolled her eyes, obviously knowing what he was thinking, and snapped her fingers in front of his face a couple of times. He snapped out of it, then glanced at me and Kaz. "I will definitely be buying that comic book when it comes out."

"Anyway, I came here to Mighty Med to get my powers restored…" Her face suddenly brightly slightly, looking a bit hopeful. "Unless…explode!" She raised her palm at Kaz, but nothing happened. "Nothing!" He complained.

"Bummer." Kaz replied apologetically. "Wait, if you did have your powers, wouldn't I have just exploded?"

"Into a million pieces." Skylar agreed, smiling at the very thought. Kaz stared at her for a moment, then looked back at us.

"Awesome!" He grinned, high-fiving us.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Yesterday was so cool." Oliver grinned as he walked up to our lockers. "I can't believe we get to save the people who save people!"

"You should trademark that." I suggested, grinning back. "I would totally buy that t-shirt."

"Yeah, I should." He agreed, opening his locker and pulling out his books for class.

"Hey," I looked over my shoulder to see Dani walking over to us, her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Hey, how was soccer practice?" I asked, grabbing my pencil case out of my locker. She shrugged, opening her own locker and shoving the bag onto one of the shelves in it.

"Boring – half the team's out with the flu, so Coach Rombough just had everyone doing shooting drills and passing." She complained. "I can't wait until the season actually starts. So, what are you guys talking about?"

"Yesterday." Oliver replied. Dani smirked.

"About everything, or just the Skylar Storm bits?" She teased lightly, earning a glare from her brother.

"So, did you guys find anything cool?" We turned to see Jordan standing behind us, looking at us all expectantly. We all exchanged looks, hoping she hadn't overheard us.

"Like what? A hospital for superheroes?" I chuckled nervously. "No!"

"I meant for our found object robot." She reminded us, referring to our science project. "Now, this is an all day project, so please keep Gus under control all day."

"Don't worry, we won't let him anywhere near you." I assured her, not noticing Gus walking up behind her until it was too late.

"New shampoo?" The short boy guessed, smelling Jordan's hair before adjusting his glasses.

"No, it's bug repellant." Jordan replied. "And obviously, it's not working."

"Anyways, you asked for found object and I found this in my room." Gus continued, pulling a wad of cash out of his jacket pocket. "Five hundred dollars in small bills." We all looked at him. "My parents give me money instead of attention."

Jordan took the money and began to count it, just as the communicators that Horace gave us began to buzz. A quick look at the very tiny screen told us that he was calling us back to the hospital. "Excuse us for a minute." Oliver pulled Dani and I off to the side, out of earshot.

"Horace is paging us to the hospital." Dani whispered, looking at her communicator.

"What do we do?" Oliver questioned, looking at Jordan and Gus.

"Well, we have to go." I reasoned. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime."

"You're right." He agreed. Dani glanced back at our friends.

"What are we going to tell Jordan?" She asked. Oliver considered it for a moment, then nodded to himself.

"Follow my lead." He instructed. He walked over to Jordan and Gus, Dani and I following closely behind him. "Uh, hey. Kaz, Dani, and I have to take off for a bit."

"What?" Jordan demanded, staring at us in horror. "You can't go! You guys promised to help me on this project."

"We'll be back soon, okay?" Dani assured her.

"We just have to stop by my grandmother's house." Oliver lied.

"Which is on fire." I added, trying to be helpful. The twins both looked at me before turning back to Jordan.

"Fire Creek drive." Dani said, a little flustered. "Where she lives. She needs us because of-"

"-the fire." I interrupted.

"Alarms!" Oliver exclaimed. "Fire alarms. She needs us to make sure they're working because of-"

This time, they both glared at me. "Yes, sure, our grandmother's house is on fire." Dani decided just to go with it.

"Okay, gotta go, see ya!" I rushed them out of there before Jordan could object.

"Please hurry back! I need you guys! Do not flake on me!" She shouted after us as we bailed. The moment we were out of earshot, my best friends both turned to stare at me.

"Fire?" Oliver repeated. I shrugged.

"Just trying to help." I replied before racing in the direction of the hospital.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Boys, Dani!" Horace greeted as we walked through the Mighty Med door. "So great to see you."

"Yes, so great." Alan commented sarcastically. He was standing next to his uncle, wearing a lab coat and carrying around a tablet.

"So, what's going on?" I asked curiously.

"Megahertz has run amuck in the city. We'll need your help." Horace explained just as a set of double doors swung open.

"Make a path, people!" Benny, the nurse yesterday, shouted as he pushed a gurney into the room. A tall, blonde haired man was on the gurney, dressed in a red-ish/orange uniform with black boots and gloves. A stop sign was protruding from his chest. "I've got a beloved superhero with a puncture wound to the chest. Object appears to be a…stop sign?"

"That's Tecton!" Dani gasped, recognizing her favorite comic book hero. "You're, like, my favorite superhero ever."

"Are you okay? What happened to you?" Kaz questioned, looking him over.

"Megahertz was robbing the Federal City national bank. When he tried to make an unauthorized withdrawal, I stopped him." Tecton explained. "Unfortunately, he made an unauthorized deposit of this stop sign in my chest." He finished, flicking the stop sign.

"Man, how cool is this guy?" Dani laughed. "He's skewered and he's still making quips."

She was beaming excitedly, and I couldn't help but chuckle in amusement. And she teased _me_ for being star-struck when I met Skylar Storm.

"Hey, I know people must ask you this a lot," Kaz began, revealing that my sister wasn't the only one excited to meet him, "but can you punch me in the stomach?"

"I'm sorry, but if I punch you in the stomach, I have to punch everybody in the stomach." Tecton replied, much to Kaz' disappointment. "Also, you'd die instantly."

"Benny, wheel Tecton to the OR." Horace told the nurse after examining Tecton.

"Yes sir." Benny nodded and began wheeling Tecton away. "Ooh, who's your trainer? Because I am this close to firing Guillermo."

Horace turned to us. "How would you three like to observe Tecton's surgery?"

We all grinned excitedly. "Are you kidding?" Dani laughed in amazement. "We'd love to!"

I was all on board for a moment, then I remembered what Jordan had said to us before we left. "Oh, but…we kinda have a prior commitment."

"Right, Jordan…" Kaz remembered. Horace looked at us.

"Huh, I thought your commitment was to this hospital." He mused. "I guess I misjudged you."

"No! No, you didn't!" Dani protested. I nodded quickly.

"We definitely want to work here; it would be a dream come true." I agreed. "We promised our friend…"

"This is Tecton." Kaz insisted. "Tecton."

"Besides, we can find new friends." Dani agreed. I looked at her.

"Where?" I questioned. Gus had been our friend since the 1st grade, and Jordan since 6th. Where were we supposed to find friends like them so easily?

"I don't know. EBay?" Dani suggested, shrugging. She turned to Horace, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "We're in."

"Splendid. You'll be saving the people who save people!" He proclaimed. Kaz sighed.

"I told you that you should have trademarked that." He said.

"Too late!" Horace smirked and ripped open his buttoned shirt to reveal a light blue one underneath, the words 'Saving The People Who Save People' written in big, dark blue letters.

 **Dani's POV**

"So, do you think Jordan's gonna kill us for ditching her?" Ollie mused as we waited for Horace to come get us for Tecton's surgery. Kaz and I exchanged looks, knowing full well that she was indeed going to kill us, but also knowing that telling my brother would make him feel even more guilty about abandoning her than he already did.

"Nah, she'll get over it." Kaz lied, just as his phone began to beep. He answered the video chat request without a second's thought. "Oh, hey, Jordan."

Ollie and I just stared at him like he was crazy, wondering why he would answer that call.

" _Gus is driving me crazy, and I can't finish this project without you guys!"_ She exclaimed. "Is Oliver and Dani's grandma okay?"

"Um, yes, yes, she's fine." Oliver assured Jordan, taking the phone from Kaz and pointing it so that she could see both of us. "Turns out she just burnt some toast in-"

"The fire." Once again, Kaz's obsession with fire influenced his attempts to help. Ollie and I didn't even bother saying anything this time, just shaking our heads at him.

" _Hurry."_ Jordan pleaded. _"We have to turn this project in in three hours, and it's only half-finished."_

"We'll be there." I promised before hanging up for Kaz. I turned to look at him. "Now, this is just me, but I don't think it's a great idea to accept video chat requests in super-secret hospitals. Or any other location that is super-secret."

"Right." Kaz agreed sheepishly, pocketing his phone. We waited a few more minutes, but eventually, boredom set in.

"Let's go explore." I decided. Ollie shook his head.

"Horace said to wait here." He reminded me. I looked at him.

"And you always do what you're told?" I questioned.

"Yes, it's why adults like me more." He pointed out. I rolled my eyes and turned to Kaz, since he could always be counted on to follow me when I wanted to do something that Ollie didn't.

"Wanna go see if we can find the OR on our own?" I questioned. He grinned.

"Sure!" He exclaimed. I smirked and looked at my brother.

"Two against one, Ollie. Democracy for the win!" I grinned before heading down the hall. After a couple of wrong turns, we finally found the OR, where Tecton was already prepped for surgery. "Look at this place." It was actually a pretty cool room, with lots of flashing lights and cool gizmos.

"Mom and Dad always said we were wasting our lives reading comic books, but look at us now!" My brother exclaimed, grinning. I looked up, smiling, only to see Kaz with a surgical glove on his head like a hat.

"Check it out!" He chuckled. "I'm a rooster."

I laughed lightly in amusement, while Ollie just shook his head. "Hey, are there any more?" I asked, looking around for where he got the glove.

"Stop Kazzing around, you guys." Ollie scolded. "I vouched for you two, and this job is really important to me. This could be the best afterschool job ever!"

"Dude, I'm sorry, but if you leave a glove around, somebody is going to leave it on their head." Kaz insisted. I nodded, looking at Ollie.

"It's science." I agreed. Ollie just crossed his arms and looked pointedly at Kaz. He sighed.

"Fine, I'll behave." He promised, taking the glove-hat off.

"Thank you." Oliver replied. I looked at Tecton, who was lying on the gurney, unconscious.

"I hope Tecton's going to be okay." I hummed worriedly. "He's the only one who can stop Megahertz."

"Of course he's going to be okay, Dani." Kaz assured me. "He survived falling into the Earth's core."

"Only because the meteorite in his chest gives him healing powers." Ollie pointed out. Kaz stared at him, his face lighting up as if he'd just had an idea.

"That's it." He realized. I nodded, following on the same train of thought as him.

"He can heal himself." I whispered, realizing. Kaz nodded at me.

"I'm going to prove to Horace that I belong here." He declared before running around Tecton and reaching for the stop sign.

"Kaz, wait!" Removing the stop sign would solve the problem, but we should at least wait for Horace to get here, so he can see Kaz in action. Kaz either didn't hear me, or ignored me, as he carefully slid the stop sign out of Tecton's chest. He held it upright, the metal pole covered in light blue blood.

"What did you just do?" Ollie stared at him, absolutely horrified.

"He just saved our favorite superhero." I frowned, unsure of why Ollie was so upset. We worked here now; wasn't that what we were supposed to do? Save superheroes?

"Like a boss." Kaz added, pointing his index finger at me and smirking cockily.

"We were just supposed to observe the surgery!" Oliver's voice had risen, and though he wasn't quite yelling yet, Kaz and I could both tell that he was coming close.

"Relax!" Kaz exclaimed. "He always heals – that hole is going to close right up."

We all looked at Tecton's chest, where a massive hole was still visible. After a few seconds, I glanced at Kaz. "Uh…"

"Give it a minute." Kaz hissed, his smile somewhat fading. "Any second now…" Still nothing. "Uh oh."

"Oh, man." I brought my hand through my hair, eyes wide. What did Kaz just do?

"If anyone sees this, we're finished!" Ollie exclaimed. "I told you two seconds ago how important this job was to me, and you did this?"

"Hey, in all fairness," I laughed nervously, "two minutes ago, when you said all that, he probably wasn't listening."

Kaz shook his head, agreeing with me, though my brother certainly did not look amused. Kaz gulped and held up his hand. "Commerative I-Kazzed-This-Up fake photo?"

Ollie shook his head and we all exchanged looks. How were we supposed to fix this? After this, there was no way Horace was going to let us keep our jobs.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: So, what did you guys think of 'Saving the People Who Save People, Part 1?' I could really use the feedback. Were there things you liked? Didn't like? What about Dani? I'm always curious to hear what others think of a new OC. You'll get to see a little more of her personality in the second part, I promise, but for now, what was your first impression? Please guys, reviews motivate me to keep writing. Anyway, here's the plan for the next few updates:**

 **April 4** **th** **– Saving The People Who Save People, Part 2**

 **April 11** **th** **– Frighty Med**

 **April 18** **th** **– I, Normo**

 **As you can probably tell, I intend to make Mondays my regular update day. I would have updated yesterday, but our WIFI was down. But anyway, I'll see you all next week. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please review to let me know what you thought.**


	2. Saving The People Who Save People Part 2

**Kihonne: I'm glad you all liked the first chapter so much! Anyway, I'm back with the second chapter, but first I think I'll do some shoutouts to the people who reviewed!**

 **Xxx**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: I'm glad you liked it and her.**

 **Icehale: Ah, good to know. I'm glad you liked it. As for Calla and Dani clashing, their relationship will be a very…interesting one. I'm using my spare time to work on Elite Force, and I think you're going to like how I have the two interact with each other. As for Lab Rats VS Mighty Med, I won't be doing a Days of Our Lives version of it, simply because I don't want to rewrite Dani into it (I spent weeks working on that chapter, I ain't writing it again), but I'm going to make up for it. Not only will there be a proper explanation as to where Dani was during all of this (I'm not just making something up either – it'll be relevant to the plot) but I will also include a very special surprise for the readers in the chapter that would follow Lab Rats VS Mighty Med if it was in there. I won't say what because I don't want to give anything away, but I think a lot of people will appreciate it, especially those who have read The Lab Assistant.**

 **EmeraldTulip: I'm glad you liked it, and Dani. You're going to get to see more of her personality in the next chapter, as well as a couple of hints as to what's to come in the upcoming chapters. As for Kaz's siblings, we might see one or two of them in upcoming chapters too. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **LabGirl2001: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and especially Dani's character. I was working hard to try and get her to be different from Calla, since I've been writing her character and personality for so long.**

 **GUEST: Kaz/OC will be the main pairing, with big hints at Skoliver here and there. Personally, I want Skylar and Oliver to get together, but I also want to follow the original plotline when it comes to them, so I'm not sure how far I'm going to take their relationship.**

 **Avaoreo1112: I'm glad you enjoyed it, and liked Dani so much. And thank you so much for your kind words. I'm so glad you found Calla so inspiring, and just so you know, I love doing shoutouts. I like being able to chat with you guys because I feel more connected with my favorite readers and reviewers, like you. As for missing The Lab Assistant, don't worry – those characters will return to my stories sooner than you think. Much, much sooner, in some cases ;) I'm not the only one who made an impact on someone else's life though. If it hadn't been for reviewers like you, I probably wouldn't have finished The Lab Assistant, so really, I should be thanking you for all the kind words or praise and advice I've gotten. Really, thank you so much for all the reviews I've gotten from you, and all the ones I'm eager to receive in the future. Thank you.**

 **MelbieZ: I'm glad you enjoyed it! And especially Dani. In the end, her and Calla are going to be similar in some ways (while opposites attract, I want them to have some similar qualities so they'll get along better in Elite Force) but for now, I want to keep their personalities very different so I can get used to writing Dani's character. As for Barry, he'll be introduced in this chapter, so you just need to read to find out the answer to your question. Oh, and don't worry about the autocorrect thing – I figured out what you meant. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Alright, so let's get onto the chapter, shall we?**

 **Kaz: Kihonne doesn't own lab rats. She only owns Dani, Barry, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Oliver's POV**

"Kaz, how could you do this?" I demanded, looking through the hole in Tecton's chest. Kaz didn't answer, instead biting on his knuckles nervously while my sister ran her hands through her hair, eyes wide.

"He has a giant hole in his chest!" She exclaimed, beginning to panic.

"Hey, calm down. Everything's going to be fine." Kaz assured her, pacing a little. Suddenly, his face lit up. "I have a solution! You wouldn't happen to have a giant cork on you, would you?"

"A giant cork?" I repeated, looking at him. Kaz nodded.

"Yeah, because I only have this pretty big one." He added, pulling a large cork out of his pocket. Dani took the cork out of his hands, examining it.

"Well, we could put this-" She began, but I cut her off, snatching the cork from her hands.

"No." I told her sternly before looking at Kaz. "What are we going to do?"

"I'm going to figure out why Tecton won't heal, you two stay here." He decided, beginning to head for the door. I turned and looked at him.

"And do what?" I demanded.

"Oh, it's simple." Kaz assured me. "All you have to do is keep out the dozens and dozens of doctors, nurses, orderlies, and technicians who could walk in here at any moment."

"Is that it?" I questioned sarcastically. Kaz put his hands on my shoulders.

"Hey, look at me. Everything is going to be fine. Have I ever let you down before?" He asked.

"Constantly." I answered.

"Name one time!" He protested.

"When you pulled out the stop sign!" I shrieked.

"That was thirty seconds ago, Ollie. Stop living in the past." Dani told me. Kaz nodded.

"You know why they call it the 'present'? Because it's a gift." He agreed. I looked at him, a little frustrated.

"Look, Kaz and I will go to the Domain and go through all the Tecton comic books." Dani told me. I looked at her, a bit upset.

"You're ditching me too?" I protested. She looked at Kaz, then at me.

"Well, you're getting frustrated and you tend to yell when you're frustrated and I don't want to be yelled at, so yeah." She replied before pushing Kaz out the door.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Issue 145, Tecton battles the Impaler." I announced, skimming through the comic books. Dani and I had been here for almost half an hour, and still nothing.

"Let me guess: he gets impaled." Dani stated, not looking up from the comic book she was looking through. While I was standing above the metal box of comic books, she'd simply taken a stack from a different box and sat on the ground between the two piles of finished and unfinished issues.

"Obviously." I nodded. "But he instantly heals."

"Tecton fights the Ambusher, gets ambushed, gets hurt, instantly heals." Dani slapped another comic onto her pile of finished comic books. I shook my head, frustrated.

"I don't get it." I muttered.

"What's not to get?" Clyde questioned as he and his brother walked over to us.

"Tecton always heals." Wallace nodded as Clyde pushed back a couple of posters to reveal a poster for one of Tecton's next movies, Tecton Always Heals. "It's why he never loses." Clyde pulled back the poster to show another one that read: Tecton Never Loses.

"Guys, we're kinda bus-" Dani broke off, looking at them. She jumped to her feet, an excited look on her face. "What's in that box?"

I looked at the box that Wallace was carrying, noting the picture of Tecton on the side of it. The two comic book store owners opened the box and inhaled deeply. "I love the fresh smell of new comics." Clyde smiled.

"This new batch smells like lavender." Wallace noticed.

"That's actually my cologne." Clyde explained.

"It really smells nice." Wallace complimented. Dani cut in before they could continue.

"Is that the new Tecton comic book?" She questioned. Realizing where she was going with this, I tried to grab one out of the box, but Wallace and Clyde moved out of arm's reach.

"Are you mad?" Wallace demanded.

"The release date on that comic is tomorrow!" Clyde snapped.

"So?" I demanded, looking at them.

"So?" They repeated, stunned.

"Okay, are there no more rules?" Clyde questioned.

"Are we living in a post-apocalyptic lawless society?" Wallace challenged.

"Because if we are, I'd like to ride a motorcycle." Clyde continued.

"And I'd like to wear an eye patch." Wallace added before the two began to leave.

"We need to get those comic books. Ollie's depending on us." Dani insisted, following me up to the counter.

"Maybe there's something in there that explains why Tecton's not healing." I agreed. Clyde chuckled in amusement.

"You make it sound like he's a real person." He mused. Dani and I exchanged looks, trying to figure out a way to explain this.

"He is to me!" Dani cried suddenly, looking at Wallace and Clyde with big, puppy-dog eyes. I nodded eagerly, guessing what game she was trying to play.

"She's got this whole fan-girl crush on him, and it's bad man. I mean, she writes fanfiction and everything." I told them. "The only thing that will appease her is that comic book."

"Fanfiction? What type?" Wallace questioned, looking at her. She shrugged.

"Romance?" She replied. "And humor too."

"She's got this one where Tecton pops a zit that won't heal and he keeps picking at it." I explained. Clyde shook his head.

"That's no way as good as our fanfiction." Clyde insisted. "Two stunningly handsome twin brothers-"

"-slash shopkeepers-" Wallace added.

"-are captured by two stunningly gorgeous swimsuit models-" Clyde continued.

"-slash vampire hunters-" Wallace interjected.

"-who cook the brothers grilled cheese sandwiches whenever they want." Clyde finished.

"Pa-pow." Wallace bumped fists with his brother.

"Wow, that sounds really good. Can we read that?" I exclaimed with as much fake enthusiasm as I could muster. They looked at each other, excited.

"Really?" Wallace asked. Dani nodded quickly.

"Oh yes. I could use a few pointers." She agreed.

"O-Okay, our first fan." Clyde smiled.

"We'll get you guys copies." Wallace agreed and the two brothers raced back into the back room of the shop.

"Thank you." Dani smiled until they left. The moment they were gone, I grabbed one of the comic books out of the box. We raced for the exit. "We'll pay for that later!" Dani called over her shoulder, running just ahead of me.

We'd almost made it to the exit when Jordan walked straight into us. She stared at us as we backed up a bit, knowing she would be mad at us. "Hey, Jordan…" I smiled nervously. "What are you doing here?"

"Coming to work on the project as far from Gus as possible." She explained, seeming more than a little annoyed. "What are you two doing here?"

"Um…We're not here." Dani lied. "We're Kaz and Dani's avatars in a new videogame with holograms."

"I-I can't believe you guys!" Jordan yelled. "You ditched me so you could go get a comic book?"

"Jordan…" I began, not really sure of what to say.

"No, no! You two just sit down and help me build the stupid robot!" She snapped, dropping her backpack onto the ground.

"We can't, we have to go." I told her apologetically, trying to get past her, but she stepped into our way.

"If either of you walk out that door, I will never speak to you again." She threatened. "Seriously; my sister ate my cupcake and I haven't talked to her since January."

"We're sorry." Dani told her. Jordan glared at her.

"I mean it, Short." She growled. Dani gave her an apologetic look, then headed for the exit. I started to follow her, then stopped at the door and gave Jordan a small grin.

"By the way, this might not be the best time to mention this, but…" I gave her a sheepish smile, "I ate your cupcake and blamed your sister."

And with that, I ran after Dani in the direction of Mighty Med.

 **Skylar's POV**

I was hanging out in the rec room, checking out one of the magazines, when Dr. Horace Diaz finally walked in, that annoying nephew of his, Alan, in tow.

"Skylar, I've got your test results." Horace announced. I hopped to my feet, impatient. I'd already been here for a day, and all I wanted to do was get out of here.

"So I'm good?" I confirmed. "Because I'm all ready to fly back to my planet. I just need to stretch, because it's, like, a 700,000,000,000 mile flight."

Horace gave me a sort of look, a strange cross between sympathy and pity, then gestured at the couch behind me. "Please, sit." He requested, taking a seat himself. I did so, though I couldn't understand why I would need to. "How can I put this…Life is a winding road, and every superhero experiences a series of triumphs and-"

"You're not getting your powers back!" Alan shouted, cutting him off. I stared at him, shocked. "You're basically just a Normo! Normo!"

"Alan!" Horace scolded, jumping to his feet. "Why would you say that to her?"

I got up too, sighing a breath of relief. "I was worried there for a moment. So that's not true?"

"Oh, it's true. I just wouldn't have said it like that." He replied, and suddenly, I felt like I couldn't breathe.

I was powerless, basically just a Normo. My powers had been the only thing I'd always had with me. They were what made me special, what made me stand out. They were such an integral part of who I was…I didn't know who I was without them. "So it's hopeless?" I heard my voice break.

"Nobody's saying it's hopeless." Horace promised me.

"I am." Alan smirked in the background.

"Skylar, right now, we simply don't know how to restore your powers." Horace explained, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. "One day we might, but not now. I'm sorry."

Horace patted my shoulder gently before walking away. I took a deep breath, attempting to steady myself, then looked at a bench press nearby, the weights that The Crusher had been using earlier still on the bar.

I was going to prove that Horace was mistaken. I couldn't have lost my powers forever! I wouldn't give up that easily!

"What are you doing?" Alan demanded, watching me walk over to the bench.

"My powers are in me somewhere, I know it!" I exclaimed, fighting to keep the tears back. "If I just focus!"

"You can't lift that; it's too heavy." Alan reasoned as I sat down. I glared at him.

"I am Skylar Storm! And nobody tells me what I can or can't do!" I shouted angrily before lying down. I gripped the bar tightly and with all my strength, I lifted it off the bar.

Immediately, my arms protested to the burden, wanting to collapse on me. I fought the urge to let go as long as I could, but slowly the bar began to drop lower and lower.

"It's going to crush you! Let me help you!" Alan insisted. I gritted my teeth, not willing to give up.

"Don't you dare!" I growled, closing my eyes and craning my neck back so that it would not fall on my face. Suddenly, the weight disappeared completely. My eyes snapped open in time to see the weighted bar slowly float from my hands back onto the rack. "I told you not to help me!" I shouted, getting up.

"I saved your life!" Alan snapped back. I shook my head angrily and stormed out of the room, trying to ignore him as he continued to shout at me. "I didn't have to do that! I was voted 'Most Likely to Lose a Patient'!"

 **Oliver's POV**

What was taking them so long? Kaz and Dani should have been back ages ago. I paced impatiently outside of the OR, glancing down the hallway in hopes that either of them out appear.

Unfortunately, all I could see was a group of nurses and doctors headed my way. "Uh, you're looking for room 31?" I questioned, looking at them. The doctor in the front, a pretty dark haired lady, nodded. "You're at the wrong room. This isn't room 31, it's…" I took the sign on the wall and turned it vertically. "…room W underline."

Somehow, they actually fell for that and kept walking, looking for the room they were trying to find. Finally, I saw Dani and Kaz tearing through the hall towards me, the latter clutching a comic book in his hands.

"We're back!" Kaz gasped as they skidded to a stop. I looked at the two of them desperately.

"Where've you been? Do you know what I've been through here?" I demanded. "And what took you so long? Did you find a way to fix Tecton?"

Dani took a deep breath, then answered all of my questions in one go. "The Domain. No. He's out of shape. Maybe."

I gave her a look, then grabbed her and Kaz by the arms and dragged them into the OR. "What did you find out? Why isn't Tecton healing?"

"We don't know." Kaz admitted. "We got the new Tecton comic book, but it doesn't say anything."

"We do have good news, though." Dani smiled. I looked at her hopefully.

"What?" I asked.

"Remember that really long list of things Jordan hates?" She asked. I nodded. "Yeah, we're on that now."

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Why did I vouch for you guys?"

"Whoa, hey! Kaz was the one who pulled the stop sign out!" Dani protested. I gave her a look.

"If he hadn't done it, can you honestly say that you wouldn't have?" I questioned. She hesitated before responding.

"That's not the point." She argued. I shook my head.

"So much for working here!" I exclaimed. Suddenly, a thought came to me. "And now that we know about Mighty Med, they'll have to erase our memories or shoot us into a black hole or-or worse!"

They both looked at me, confused. "What can be worse than being shot into a black hole?" Kaz questioned, confused.

"Getting vaporized. A lot of people get vaporized in this business!" I mimicked Horace from before.

"They won't really…they're not actually going to do that, right?" Dani didn't look so sure. Suddenly, we heard Alan's voice from outside the room.

"Out of my way!" We heard him call.

"Alan!" Kaz hissed, standing up and trying to block Tecton from view. I stood next to him as Dani grabbed the stop sign and shoved it between us so that one who didn't know better would think that it was still in Tecton's chest.

Alan walked in and looked at us, confused. "Where is everybody?"

"In the world? Mostly China." Kaz replied.

"Although India is gaining fast." I added. Alan raised an eyebrow at us.

"Why are you standing like that?" He questioned, noting the way we were leaning over Tecton's gurney with the stop sign stuck between us.

"Standing like what?" My sister lied smoothly as she leaned even closer to me. "This is how Normos usually stand."

"Yeah, get with it." I agreed, emphasizing her point. Alan nodded thoughtfully.

"Oh, okay. I guess everything's fine here. I should get going." He started to leave, then turned back to us. "Oh, one more thing."

He raised his hands and an invisible force pushed us apart. Kaz almost flew right into the door while Dani and I hit the ground. The stop sign clattered on the tiled floor beside us while Alan stared at Tecton in horror.

"Busted!" Alan shouted. "There's a giant hole in his chest!"

I slowly climbed to my feet. "Alan, I know we didn't start off on the right foot, but you gotta help us!"

"Oh." He seemed surprised that I'd ask him that. "Well, okay." He turned to Kaz. "Grab me the hole closing glue."

Kaz nodded. "Okay, where is it?"

"It's right on the Normos-are-incredibly-stupid cabinet!" Alan laughed at us. Kaz gave him an annoyed look. "There's no such thing as hole closing glue. But seriously, quick, grab me the stomach sealant."

"And where is it?" Kaz asked.

"Right on the Got-You-Again shelf!" Alan was clearly amused. Kaz glared at him. "You Normos are going down, and I'm going to make sure everybody knows about this! Everybody!"

After quickly adjusting his sweater vest, he left the room, probably going to go find Horace and rat us out.

"Thanks Kaz," I looked at my best friend, annoyed. "Thanks for ruining the one thing that made me feel like I really mattered."

"Oh, so I guess me giving you my last piece of gum this morning meant nothing to you!" Kaz snapped.

"Guys, shut up!" Dani exclaimed. She looked at me. "Ollie, it sucks that we might lose our jobs, but Kaz was trying to do the right thing. Lay off."

"Not going to happen." I brushed her off, walking out of the OR. Kaz followed me out, Dani trailing behind.

"Hey, if it wasn't for me, you never would have gotten this job in the first place!" He snapped angrily. "And you never would have done anything fun, either. Like riding a skateboard on top of a skateboard, or playing ice football on that frozen lake."

"That was my idea." Dani pointed out, looking at him.

"And I fell in ice after you tackled me!" I argued. "I had to be evacuated to the hospital!"

"You got to ride in a helicopter!" Kaz pointed out. "How fun was that?!"

"You know what?" I demanded. "I'm done with you. All you do is get the three of us into redonkulous situations."

"Name one time!" Kaz protested as Horace walked into the hall with Alan. The man took one look inside the OR, then looked at us.

"Whoa, this is a redonkulous situation." He commented. Kaz rolled his eyes.

"Aside from that." He said, even though we all knew my point had been made.

 **Kaz's POV**

We followed Horace and Alan into the OR. "I told you they pulled out the sign!" Alan exclaimed. Horace looked down at Tecton, then at us.

"Kids, I'm afraid you're going to have to pay the consequences." He told us seriously. "Hypothetically, if you were going to be compacted into a small cube, where would you want that shipped?"

"Wel-" Dani began to reply, but stopped when she saw the look Oliver was giving her. Suddenly, a loud whining beep came from the computer screen at the end of Tecton's bed. Horace ran past us, quickly checking the stats.

"Tecton's vitals are dropping!" He shouted. Suddenly, the entire room shook violently, the lights flickering and some of the cool gadgets falling off their shelves. The force knocked us off balance, and everyone in the room braced themselves.

"What was that?" Dani demanded as nurses and orderlies raced into the room.

"Tectonic tremors." I realized. "Tecton's powers are connected to the earth."

"When his body's in distress, he sends out uncontrollable seismic waves." Oliver added as the room shook again.

"Wait! He's stabilizing; his pulse is normal." Benny announced. Then he looked to see which wrist he was checking. "No, that's my pulse. The good news, I'm fine! But he's, uh, almost dead."

The room shook again, the tremors growing in strength. "We have to save him!" Horace exclaimed. "If he dies, no one will be able to stop Megahertz and he will continue his reign of terror!"

"We have to do something!" I exclaimed. Dani looked at him.

"Like what? We searched through every comic book, and we found nothing." She insisted. There was another tremor, this one strong enough to bring people to the ground. I grabbed onto a nearby machine, and Dani tumbled backwards into me. "Sorry." She apologized as I helped her up.

"Something's interfering with his ability to heal." Oliver stated, pushing himself away from the wall he'd fallen into. He looked at us. "Name everything you know about Tecton, starting with his first comic book."

"Okay." I nodded. "The Adventures of Tecton, Issue One. Copyrighted in 1975-"

"Oh my gosh, flip ahead!" Oliver shouted, exasperated.

"He gets his powers from the Delta radiation which emanates from the meteorite inside his chest." I stated, thinking hard.

"And his only weakness is Gargulon gas, but it doesn't exist on Earth in its natural form." Dani continued. The room shook again, but luckily, I had an idea.

"But Gargulon gas is formed when…" I realized the answer at the same time as the twins.

"Delta radiation reacts with gold!" We said in unison.

"There must be gold inside of him!" Dani exclaimed. "He was at a bank, right? A gold coin perhaps?"

"I'm going in!" I shouted, not waiting to see if anyone would argue. I ran over to Tecton and shoved my hand through the hole in his chest. The inside was gooey and sticky and really wet, and it had to the most disgusting thing I'd ever done in my life. But hey, there was a cute nurse watching me, so it wasn't THAT bad. "'Sup girl." I nodded at her.

"Kaz!" Dani snapped, her voice drawing me away from the smiling nurse.

"Right!" I replied apologetically, going back to the task at hand. After a couple of moments of fishing around in Tecton's chest, I felt something flat and hard. "Got it!" I announced, slowly removing a gold coin covered in light blue blood.

"Knew it." Dani grinned, reaching for the coin. She took it from me, a fascinated look on her face.

"It's covered in guts." Oliver grimaced. Dani raised an eyebrow and shoved it in his face.

"What? Afraid of a little alien guts, Ollie?" She teased. "Anyway, the coin must have gotten in there when Tecton was stopping Megahertz at the bank."

"He's starting to heal." Horace sounded surprised, smiling as he examined Tecton. He turned to us, delighted. "Well done! You were right!" He shook our hands. "You do make a great team!"

"What?" Alan protested, even as the other nurses, orderlies, and doctors applauded for us. "But they broke the rules!"

"And then they saved the day!" Horace added. "So, I'm going to totally ignore the first part."

He turned back to us and put his hands on my and Oliver's shoulders, Dani standing between us. "Now, to celebrate the real heroes of this hospital. Nurse! Get the limbo stick!"

"Man, I love this place." Dani beamed, looking between me and Oliver. Suddenly, Skylar Storm burst into the room.

"There you are!" She exclaimed. "You need to see this."

"Again with the videos of you doing back flips?" Benny complained. "We get it. You're flexible."

"Hey! That video has fifty-six likes!" Skylar snapped.

"One dislike." Benny remind her, pointing at himself.

"That's not what I need to show you!" Skylar insisted before heading to the TV on the far wall. She changed the channel to the SNN channel.

" _Superhero News Network has just learned that three Normos are now working at Mighty Med Hospital."_ The newscaster lady announced and our smiles faded. _"The Normos performed unauthorized surgery on Tecton, who is now very, very weak. This, according to our source, a young man who was clearly disguising his voice by speaking into a coffee mug."_

"Well that's enough of that!" Alan exclaimed, turning off the television before looking at his uncle guiltily. Horace looked at him, furious.

"Alan! Do you realize what you've done?" He questioned. "Now Megahertz knows that Tecton is here, and weak! You are in big trouble! Big trouble!"

"Oh, come on! What are the odds that Megahertz was watching at that exact moment?" The kid exclaimed, trying to defend himself.

Suddenly, lightning flashed, even though we were nowhere near a window. "WHERE IS HE?" A menacing voice demanded, the sound echoing around the room. "WHERE IS TECTON?"

"I'd say a hundred percent." I looked at Alan pointedly.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Follow me." Horace instructed, already heading for the door. We ran after him and ended up in the main ER, where a tall man in a black uniform stood in front of the entrance. He had short, spiky black hair, squinting eyes, and strange metal cybernetic attachments all over his face. Red electricity flowed from his fingertips.

"Guards, get him!" Horace shouted. The same guards who we'd met the other day raced towards Megahertz, who only seemed amused.

"You're going to try to stop me? How quaint." He commented before blasting them halfway across the room with his electricity blast.

"Oh, he's good. I'll grant him that." Horace commented as Tecton used his powers to fling the furniture in the room out of the way.

"Megahertz is going to find Tecton!" I exclaimed as we ducked behind one of the counters that had been thrown towards us. "We've got to do something!"

"Like what? We don't have any powers!" Kaz reminded me.

"Neither do I." Skylar stepped out from behind us, but unlike us, she was standing tall, instead of hiding. "But I can still do this."

She snapped into her signature fighting position. "Hey Megahertz!" She called, getting his attention. "There's a storm coming! Skylar Storm!"

"That's my boo." I grinned, watching her and Megahertz eagerly.

Megahertz tossed away the guard he'd been about to pummel, then turned to face Skylar. A ball of electricity appeared in his right hand. He threw it at Skylar's feet, hoping to knock her down, but she leapt over it, doing a handless cartwheel in the process.

She landed in front of him, her fist already swinging towards him in a punch. He blocked her first two blows, then spun around and attempted a couple of his own, but Skylar leapt out of his way, landing gracefully on her feet.

Watching her fight was like watching an intricate dance. She was so sure-footed, experience telling her where and when to move. The whole thing came so naturally to her, no one could doubt that she was a good fighter, even without her powers.

She managed to get a few good hits in, but it was when she punched him and he hardly noticed that I realized she wasn't going to be able to win this fight on her own.

"Can't you do something?" Kaz whispered to Horace, clearly thinking the same thing as me. To our disappointment, he just shook his head.

"His electromagnetic field is blocking my powers." He replied.

"She can't hold him off for long." I worried. I looked at Dani and Kaz. "We've got to create a diversion. Kaz, it's time to do what you do best."

"Get on people's nerves?" He guessed. I nodded.

"Exactly." I agreed. He grinned.

"Alright!" He exclaimed, starting to head over to them.

"No way." Dani stopped him. "I wanna fight Megahertz."

"Why?" I looked at her like she was crazy.

"Because! You got to meet your one true love, and Kaz got to save Tecton. I haven't done anything cool today, so I get to annoy the super villain."

"Dani-" Kaz tried, but she shook her head, smirking.

"Fair is fair, Kazzy." She replied before leaping over the counter and heading straight for Megahertz. He and Skylar continued to try and land a powerful blow, but none of Skylar's hits were doing much damage. At least she was fast enough, and flexible enough, to dodge his every punch.

Unfortunately, her speed and agility weren't enough to keep her from getting his by Megahertz's electricity blast. The blow from behind threw her mercilessly to the ground at Dani's feet.

"Ouch." My sister grimaced sympathetically, then looked at Megahertz, a look of determination on her face. She grabbed a metal tray off the nearest table and stood in front of Skylar, facing the supervillain. "Hey Leslie!"

Megahertz looked at her, surprised, and she smirked. "That's right; I know your real name." While she held up the tray so he could look into it, Kaz and I skirted around the edge of the room, sneaking past them. "Check out the ugliest half human, half titanium cyborg in the room."

"Oh come on! Nobody looks good in a metal tray!" Megahertz protested. Dani shrugged.

"I do." She commented, giving him a charming smile. I was a little surprised by the way she was acting – my sister may not be insecure, but I'd never seen her act this bold before – but I just shrugged it off, knowing it was mostly an act.

"And no one calls me ugly." Megahertz continued, a ball of electricity appearing in his hands. Dani gulped nervously, her mask of no fear cracking slightly.

"Guys, now!" She shouted, backing up slightly. I looked around for something to use against him, something that would at least get Megahertz's attention off of Dani, but all I could find was a bedpan. Nevertheless, I grabbed it and threw it as hard as he could towards Megahertz's head.

It hit the super villain on the side of head, perfectly on target, but Megahertz didn't so much as flinch. In fact, he seemed a little amused by it.

"Uh, you know, I-I meant ugly in a g-good way." Dani stammered as he got closer. She looked past him, focusing on Kaz. "Kaz, you're good with words. Help me out here!"

"Yeah!" Kaz scrambled to her side. He stepped towards Megahertz, nodding quickly. "You know, like 'yo playa', you so ugly'!"

"That's not a thing." Megahertz informed him.

"Oh." Kaz glanced at Dani, but instead of backing up, he stepped to the side a bit, closer to her.

"Say goodbye to your precious Tecton!" Megahertz proclaimed. He spun on his heel and stalked out of the room, electricity flying between his hands as he went.

"What do we do?" I demanded, running up to them.

"It-It's over." Dani replied solemnly. "He's going to destroy Tecton."

"And it's all my fault." Kaz added. Before either of us could object to that – and I was, I swear – the stained glass letter M on the wall shattered, Megahertz's body flying through it. From the hole flew Tecton, looking just as powerful and incredible as he did in the comics. He flew above our heads, hovering in the center of the room.

"And that's how you throw a villain through a logo." He declared, wiping his hands together.

"Whoa." Dani murmured, smiling in amazement.

Tecton smirked, having heard her comment, and dropped to the ground, landing in the classic kneeling pose with his fist punching the ground. He looked up in time to see Megahertz get up, ready for round two.

Megahertz shot a blast of electricity at Tecton, but the blonde haired superhero rolled out of harm's way. He stopped a few feet away from us, getting to his feet right away.

Megahertz's next blast hit Tecton in the shoulder and he hit the ground beside Skylar. Thankfully, while the blast knocked him clean off his feet, it didn't knock him out.

"Look out!" I shouted as Megahertz shot another blast. Tecton jumped to his feet, grabbing a metal pole from the ground beside him. He spun around in his hands with an expert's precision, using it to block every single shot Megahertz fired at him. Then, using the pole as a javelin, he threw it at his enemy with all his might. Megahertz used his electricity to stop the pole, levitating it in midair. Tecton didn't waste any time, though, and slammed him foot into the ground, the force so great that it created a kind of aftershock.

The aftershock knocked Megahertz to the ground, but it didn't keep him down. Not that Tecton was unprepared for that of course. Our favorite superhero leapt into the air the moment Megahertz began to get up, and he landed in front of him, grabbing him by the shoulders. They wrestled together for several moment, electricity flowing across both of them, and neither of them able to gain the advantage.

"We have to do something!" Dani insisted. I nodded.

"What we need to do is stop Megahertz, but how?" I demanded. Kaz grinned.

"Stop! That's it!" He exclaimed. Neither me nor my sister knew what he meant until he ran over to the garbage can, where someone had placed the stop sign. He pulled it out of the trash as the fighting between Tecton and Megahertz grew more intense, both super people landing solid punches against the other. "Tecton, here!" Kaz shouted, throwing the stop sign towards him.

Tecton caught it in one hand, the other one holding Megahertz still. Using his super speed, Tecton wrapped the stop sign around Tecton like a rope, successfully restraining him.

Megahertz tried to use his electricity to escape, but that only worked against him because the sign was made of metal. The rebounding force of his powers weakened him enough that he fell into unconsciousness.

"Yes!" Kaz grinned, seeing the incredible victory. Dani smirked and walked over to Megahertz.

"Not so tough now, are you, Leslie?" She teased. Megahertz sparked and twitched again, and she jumped back, grabbing me by the arm, as if she thought I could do something about it. "Still live, still live."

Tecton chuckled and picked Megahertz up by stop sign, carrying him with ease. He walked over to Kaz, and nodded to him gratefully.

"You saved my life." He acknowledged. "You should stick around. This place needs you."

"Thank you." Despite Kaz's best efforts, his voice rose a few octaves in his excitement. "Dang it." He muttered, having obviously been trying to act cool in front of his idol.

"Well, my work here is done." Tecton stated, looking at Megahertz.

"Actually, just one more thing." Horace stopped him before gesturing at the ceiling. "That bulb has been out for weeks. Would you mind?" He held out a light bulb.

"Yeah, yeah." Tecton sighed, taking the bulb. He shoved Megahertz into the hands of the waiting guards, then flew up to change the bulb.

"Ugh." I turned around to see Skylar starting to get up. She looked a little dazed, but otherwise uninjured.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked gently, helping her up.

"I'm fine." She replied.

"You were awesome back there." I told her. She smiled prettily at me.

"So were you." She complimented. I chuckled.

"Well, I do throw a mean bed pan." I joked, causing her smile to grow. Then I got a little more sincere. "Look…I know you don't like people helping you, I'm going to do everything I can to help you get your powers back."

"That would great." She replied. "Because this whole being a Normo thing totally stinks. I can't do anything!"

Then she proceeded to cartwheel out of the room. Benny walked past her, giving her a dirty look. "Show-off." He called her before heading out of the room himself.

I glanced at Kaz and Dani, who were both standing near the center of the room, watching Tecton change a lightbulb like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Hey." I greeted them, walking over. They turned to look at me. Kaz smiled apologetically at me, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Hey," He replied. He sighed. "Listen, about before. I'm sorry I almost got us fired and/or cubed. I messed up and you bailed me out, like you always do. Thanks."

I nodded slowly. "I'm sorry too. And you were right, I wouldn't be here without you." Dani cleared her throat meaningfully. "Without either of you." I corrected myself. "And I wouldn't want to be."

"Are you two done fighting?" My sister checked. We both nodded. "I think we need a Commerative photo, boys."

"Commerative bros again fake photo?" Kaz asked me. I nodded.

"Absolutely." I agreed. The three of us put our arms around each other and made faces at the fake camera in Kaz's hands.

"Splendid work today!" Horace exclaimed, walking over to us with a proud smile on his face. "Splendid. I'll see you three tomorrow after school."

"WHAT?" Alan objected. "What about the newscast? Everyone knows we have Normos here!"

"I don't care. Let the whole world know they work here!" Horace declared before turning to us. "Remember, you can't tell anyone you work here."

"Our lips are sealed." Dani assured him.

"This is not fair! This is not fair! This-" Horace froze Alan mid-temper tantrum, then began to lead us down one of the halls.

"Now," He said, ignoring his nephew completely, "let's go down to accounting and get you paid."

"Paid? Are you kidding?" I looked at him, surprised. "I would totally work here for nothing."

Dani quickly covered my mouth with her hand, giving me a pointed look, while Kaz addressed Horace. "He meant nothing less than a million dollars a week." Horace looked at Kaz. "A thousand dollars a week." Horace narrowed his eyes. "A hundred dollars a week."

"I was going to give you two hundred, but a hundred it is." The man smiled. Dani hit Kaz in the arm.

"Dude!" She complained, obviously wishing he'd gotten us more money. Horace smiled at us.

"So, how do you like your new scrubs?" He questioned.

"We're not in scrubs." Kaz pointed out. Horace smirked.

"You were." He replied, holding up a photograph of a bridge.

"That's a picture of a bridge." I pointed out.

Horace looked at it. "Huh. I LOVE BRIDGES." He reached back into his pocket. "Say 'we're not in scrubs' again."

"We're not in scrubs." Dani told him, bemused by this conversation.

"You were." Horace held up a different photograph, this one of the three of us. But instead of our normal clothes, we were wearing purple and mauve scrubs. The three of us grinned at the sight of it, because we actually looked pretty cool in them.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Jordan is going to end us." Dani protested as we ran through the school hallway. "Seriously, is it a good idea to go in there?"

"You just finished trying to piss off Megahertz and you're afraid of Jordan?" I questioned. She nodded.

"Yes. Trust me – that girl is more lethal than half the super villains in the world." She insisted. But even though she was probably right about that, we still had to get back to school.

"Jordan, there you are!" Olive exclaimed as we ran into the classroom. She refused to look at us, her arms crossed. "Look, we're really sorry about not being here like we promised."

"We know you're upset, and you have every right to be." I acknowledged. "But I'm sure you're going to do fine on the project."

"Yeah, I mean, look what you're up against." Dani picked up a badly made toy robot off the teacher's desk, chuckling.

"That's ours." Gus pointed out.

"Oh mama." I grimaced. Then, I had an idea. "You know, I think I know how to make this better."

"Don't climb in it. I already tried that." Gus cautioned. I pulled the small black device out of my pocket.

"I took a little souvenir from Megahertz." I explained to Oliver and Dani.

"You took one of his power boosters?" Oliver sounded impressed as he watched me insert it into the robot. "Did you get him to sign it?"

"No, but I totally should have." I replied, stepping out of the way so Jordan could take the lead on this presentation.

"This is our project." She announced to the class. "We made it out of…who cares?"

Suddenly, the rocket began to spark, then suddenly it lifted off the table and flew around the room before crashing into a setoff breakers.

"Now that's a rowboat." Gus commented as the entire class looked at it in amazement. Needless to say, we were totally getting As on this project.

 **Oliver's POV**

Since our shift at Mighty Med didn't start until 4, Kaz, Dani, and I had some time to kill after school, and Kaz had thought of the perfect way.

We walked into the Domain purposefully, Kaz grabbing the Meteorite of Zandor on his way up to the counter. "I would like to buy the Meteorite of Zandor." he announced, grinning at Wallace and Clyde.

"Okay, and just how are you able to afford such an incredibly rare artifact?" Wallace questioned as Clyde walked behind one of the displays.

"Yes, it's the only one of its kind in the world." Clyde agreed. Kaz pulled a wad of cash out of my pocket.

"I got this money from Mighty Med." He replied. Dani and I both froze, staring at him. He realized his mistake the moment the words came out of his mouth, but it was too late to take them back.

"Mighty Med? What's that?" Wallace asked.

"Umm…Mighty Med…he's the new rapper." I lied. "We're in his entourage."

"Yeah, he pays us to walk around and tell him how ugly he is." Kaz agreed.

"Is that a thing?" Wallace asked his brother.

"That is not a thing." Clyde replied.

"He's trying to make it a thing." Dani insisted. Kaz quickly paid for the meteorite, then backed away from the counter.

"Anyway, we gotta go." I told the store owners. "See ya later."

The moment we were outside the store, Dani and I turned on our best friend. "Kaz, what are you doing? You can't tell anyone about the hospital! You almost blew it!"

"Oh, they didn't catch on. Besides, it's just Wallace and Clyde." He shrugged. Suddenly, I noticed a tall blonde haired guy walking towards us. Kaz groaned, the both of us recognizing him instantly. "Look who it is."

"Barry!" I smiled at the guy. Dani spun around and smiled at the captain of the basketball team, brushing her hair out of her face. "I thought you were in Colorado."

"I was; we got back a few hours ago." Barry explained, already pulling Dani close to him. "And I couldn't wait to see my favorite girl."

Kaz rolled my eyes as he kissed Dani. While I personally didn't have an issue with Barry – so long as Dani was happy and safe, I didn't really care who she dated – but he'd never liked Barry all that much. I'd asked him about it before, but he'd always insisted that he just thought she could do better.

"How's your aunt?" Dani took his hand and smiled at him when he pulled away.

"She's good, and the trip was amazing. I want to tell you all about it. We could grab dinner?" He offered. Dani glanced sideways at us.

"Actually, I'm working tonight." She told him apologetically. He looked surprised.

"Really? I didn't know you had a job." He hummed in surprise. She nodded, thinking quickly.

"Yeah, I'm working at the hospital. As a candy striper." She lied. "Ollie and Kaz are interning there too."

"Oh, sounds fun. Think they have any positions open for me?" Barry asked. I was about to tell him no, seeing as we didn't really work at the hospital, but he laughed and shook his head. "I'm kidding, of course. I wouldn't have time for a regular job between all my basketball and baseball practices. But good for you, Dani."

"Thanks." She smiled brightly at him. "But how about we have dinner tomorrow? My mom's gonna be working, so we can make food at my place, if you'd prefer home cooked stuff."

"That sounds perfect." He replied. She beamed and lifted her head to kiss him again.

"Then I will see you tomorrow." She told him. He nodded at her, then at us.

"Alright. See you guys." He told us. Dani waved at him before following me and Kaz in the direction of the hospital.

"Candy striper?" I repeated, looking at her questioningly. My sister shrugged.

"Well, we have to go to the hospital to get to Mighty Med, and someone we know is bound to see us come or go eventually. At least if we say we work at the hospital as interns and a candy striper, then we have an excuse for when they catch us there." She replied. "Makes sense."

"You lied to him." Kaz noted. She gave him a look.

"Well, I can't exactly tell him the truth, now can I?" She questioned defensively. Kaz raised my hands in an I-surrender motion, not wanting to antagonize her.

"I'm just saying, it's not the greatest thing to do in a relationship." He commented. I snorted in amusement.

"And when have you dated a girl long enough to know what one of those are?" I asked. I was joking, of course, but what I said was true. None of us had ever really been experts at getting dates – not many girls really walked into The Domain, and the cheerleaders and preppy girls usually got more attention than the sporty and nerdy ones at our school – but whenever Kaz did get a girl to go out with him, it usually only lasted a few dates before he lost interest.

"I'm just saying." He finished. Dani narrowed her eyes at him, annoyed.

"What's your problem with him, anyway?" She inquired. "Seriously, you obviously don't like him."

"He's full of himself, he hates comics, and worst of all, he hates meat." Kaz insisted. That just confused her and me both.

"I'm a vegetarian." She reminded him, raising an eyebrow at that.

"Yeah, but you don't eat meat because you're an animal lover. He doesn't eat meat because he thinks it's disgusting." I reasoned. "I can get behind the animal thing, but steak is incredible. Anyone who hates it is insane."

"You're just mad because his team beat yours when you played Black Ops." Dani teased. Kaz rolled his eyes and shook his head, but she didn't care. "Now, come on. We have superheroes to help."

 **Clyde's POV**

We watched Dani, Kaz, and Oliver leave, then I pulled my glasses off. I glared at them as they stood outside the shop, talking.

"Finally." I growled. "Our way into Mighty Med."

"And before long, all the weak superheroes," my other half continued.

"Will be dead superheroes." I finished.

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? Personally, I'm worried Dani came off a bit weak, since there wasn't much for three characters to do in this specific chapter, but she's going to get her spotlight soon enough. What did you guys like? Dislike? Seriously, I don't mind if you criticize here – it's my first Mighty Med story and I'm still trying to figure it all out. Any advice or tips are welcome!**

 **Anyway, here's the plan for the next few updates:**

 **April 11** **th** **– Frighty Med**

 **April 18** **th** **– I, Normo**

 **April 25** **th** **– Sm'Oliver's Travels**

 **So, I guess I'll see you all next week. Until then, remember to review!**


	3. Frighty Med

**Kihonne: And I'm back with another chapter. Sorry it's a little late. I meant to update yesterday, but I had to deal with a little issue concerning The Lab Assistant. Anyway, this time it's Frighty Med! Now, I know you all want to get onto the chapter, so I'm not going to talk a lot, but first, it's shoutout time.**

 **Xxx**

 **EmeraldTulip: I'm glad you liked it. As for Kaz's problem, you're on the right track.**

 **MelbieZ: I'm glad you enjoyed it so much, and thanks. Dani's likes to make witty jokes like that, as you'll see throughout the series. And no, she's not a genius like Calla, but she's got her own set of skills that will make her stand out, especially once Elite Force comes around. And maybe Kaz is jealous, maybe he's not. Heck, maybe he's not even sure what he feels right now.**

 **Icehale: Now, I don't want to say too much yet, but Kaz's reason for not liking Barry IS Dani-related. I'm glad you like her character, by the way. I worked really hard to make her different than Calla, but equal to her, I guess. She may not be the resourceful genius, but like you said, she has her own style and she's got different skills that will make her shine. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **LabGirl2001: Dani and Kaz are a lot alike, but not as much as you think. I know the differences in their personalities didn't show as much in the first couple of chapters, but you'll get to see more of the differences in future chapters. As for Barry, he won't be a cheater (I don't want to make him out to be like Caleb) but he and Dani will definitely not be together for the whole season. As for Kaz…you're not alone in thinking that. Dani and Kaz will end up together by the end of the story (I will not so much as hint as to when) and yes, he has feelings for her, but right now, Kaz might not even be aware that that's the reason he hates Barry.**

 **Grapejuice101: A love triangle would be saying something, and I do have the perfect opportunity to fit that into the story, if I decide to keep Barry on as a recurring character.**

 **Avaoreo1112: I'm glad you liked the chapter, and Dani. You're right, it does fit her character very well – she's impulsive and spontaneous and she wants to be able to help. And thank you so much! As for her having a boyfriend, I think it makes them a little more realistic. I mean, there are very few people who end up with the first person they ever date (Chase being the one notable exception in my stories), and it gives them some experience in a relationship. Even if things go wrong with your first boyfriend/girlfriend, it helps you mature. Plus, I wanted to add another guy to this story, since the number of female OCs I have will outnumber the boys. As for Kaz, well, things will become more clear concerning his relationship with Dani as things move forward.**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: I'm glad you liked it, and yes, Barry will be a good influence on her. As for the underappreciated heroes, I will put a little more focus on some of them, but not all. It's hard to do because the less they've appeared in episodes, the less I know about their personalities and abilities, but some of them will get some side plots. Or at least, they'll appear in more chapters and get some nice fight scenes. I want to focus a bit more on some heroes than others (Surge, Blaylock, Replicate, etc.) but some of them will have lesser roles (Spark will be mentioned in an episode or two, but I'm not going to be doing the chapter in which she is featured). I will also be including a couple of new superheroes of my own design (one of which will become a main character). So, yes I will give them some more spotlight, but I can't say for sure which ones will get their own spotlight, or how much more they will receive.**

 **GU3ST: That certainly is a possibility for why he doesn't like Barry. And yes, by all means do a story like this for Harry Potter. But just a warning; you will need a lot of patience to do this. I don't know whether you'll be doing them based off the movies or the books (books will be cooler, but movies will be easier) but it takes a lot of time to write stories like that, and you'll be putting a lot of focus on specific scenes for a long period of time. It will test your patience so much. Be prepared. But yeah, go for it. I'd love to write something like that.**

 **Fan: Enjoy the chapter.**

 **Guest: They do have a lot in common. As for Barry…well, their romance will be shortlived, that's for sure.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, let's get onto the chapter, shall we? Dani!**

 **Dani: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns me, Barry, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Dani's POV**

"Hey!" I called, walking into The Domain after soccer practice. The guys were already hanging out, Ollie playing a Wii game while Kaz fiddled with some of the action figures on display. "Sorry, practice ran late."

"Liar, you and Barry were making out under the bleachers and you lost track of the time, again." Ollie accused, not taking his eyes off the screen as he sliced and stabbed demons.

"True." I agreed, smirking. "Just didn't want to make you feel bad 'cause you can't get a girlfriend."

Kaz chuckled at that while Ollie merely frowned, too concentrated on the game to particularly care.

"Man, I'm getting really good at this!" My brother exclaimed as I sat down on the couch to watch them. "I should be a demon hunter in real life! That, or a high school teacher."

"Go with demon hunter; they deal with fewer demons." Kaz suggested. I nodded, agreeing with him. Besides, being a high school teacher would mean having to go to school every day, even though you were an adult.

"Here." Ollie tossed Kaz the Wii remote, just as both our phones buzzed.

"It's Dad." I told him, checking my own. "He wants to know where we are, again."

"Oh no." Ollie complained. Kaz glanced at us, confused.

"What's your dad doing back in town? I thought he moved to England after he and your mom divorced." He questioned, pausing the video game.

"He did; he's back in town on some sort of business trip, and he keeps wanting to know where we go after school every day." I explained. "And it's not like we can tell him about our job."

Kaz, meanwhile, had pulled on a creepy mask that had been sitting on one of the displays. I smirked, but rolled my eyes. "Kaz?"

"What? Do I have something on my face?" He asked, wiping his hand across the mask.

"This is serious." Ollie insisted. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Tell him that you're interning at the hospital, like Dani told Barry." He suggested.

"We tried that, but he didn't believe it. He's friends with one of the receptionists, and she told him that we don't work there. Or even volunteer there." I explained.

"Then tell him that you're hanging out here." Kaz said simply. Ollie and I looked at him.

"He doesn't want us coming here. He thinks that all this superhero stuff is a waste of time." Ollie reminded him.

"Oh, and like what he does is so important." Kaz scoffed.

"He's a brain trauma researcher." Ollie deadpanned.

"Just tell your dad you're hanging out at my house." Kaz sighed, going back to the game.

"We can't do that either; he doesn't want us hanging out with you." I told him. "He thinks you're reckless, out of control, and that you never take responsibility for your own actions."

"One time Oliver goes home with half his head shaved, and suddenly I'm reckless?" Kaz questioned, annoyed. "And I take responsibility for my actions."

Kaz turned back to the game and went to slice through another demon, but the Wii remote slid through his fingers and out of his hand. It flew right into the nearby display, knocking an action figure off the display. "Wasn't me! It was her!" Kaz shouted instantly, pointing directly at me.

"Dude!" I exclaimed, looking at him, then glancing at the other guys in the store. "Sup?" I called, noticing that they were looking at me.

Kaz grabbed the action figure off the ground. "Uh, oops." He commented, looking at the headless figure.

"The head's under the display." Ollie offered. Kaz picked up the head and the Wii remote, handing the latter to me before sitting down to try and fix it.

It took him a few minutes (during which I managed to kill 21 demons! New record!) but eventually he declared that he was done. "There. Brain Matter is good as new." He announced, examining his work.

"His head is on backwards." Ollie pointed out, amused.

"Then he's better than new. He now has the power to see his own butt." Kaz replied. Ollie and I both laughed at that, just as Gus and Jordan pushed into the room.

"Oliver, Kaz, Dani." Gus greeted. "Help us settle an argument. This snake looks poisonous, right?"

I heard him open the box behind me, but I was too focused on the videogame to actually look. "Sorry guys, a bit busy."

"Gus, there's nothing in there." Ollie said in a bored voice.

"Uh oh. This is terrible!" Gus exclaimed. "Now we'll never be able to settle our argument."

"Gus, we're not having an argument." Jordan insisted. "You're talking to yourself, and I'm listening to a book on tape."

I grinned as the screen in front of me turned purple, a list of high scores appearing in green letters. "Ha! Take that, Ollie-pop!" I sang, spinning around to smirk at my brother. "I beat your high score by seven hundred points!"

"Give me that." My brother took the remote from me, ready to try (and fail) to take back his championship title.

"Hey, I wonder why they stopped making Brain Matter comic books and movies…" Kaz hummed thoughtfully, looking at the action figure. He stood up. "There hasn't been one in years."

My brother and I shared a knowing look, having seen this happen many times before. But while I was excited, Ollie was apprehensive. "Oh no. I know that look." Ollie said. "You're going to search obsessively for the answer to a totally unimportant question."

"Even if it means abandoning your school work, your friends, and your already shaky commitment to showering." I agreed.

"Okay, A," Kaz turned to Ollie, "everyone's already trying to answer the important questions, and B," he turned to me, "I showered on Tuesday." I raised an eyebrow at that, and he smiled. "A week ago Tuesday."

"I remember that Tuesday." Gus mentioned. "You smelled great that day."

Suddenly, my phone vibrated again, as did Ollie's. We didn't even have to look to know it was our father.

"Excuse us for a second." I pulled Kaz and Ollie off to the side.

"Dad just texted us 'where are you?'. Maybe we should just come clean and tell him about…" Ollie glanced at Jordan and Gus, who were preoccupied with the videogame "…the thing."

"And if Horace finds out, we get cubed. And I don't know about you, Ollie, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life looking like a Rubik's cube!" I snapped irritably.

"Okay, here's what you do." Kaz told us, trying to stop an argument before it started. "You make up an afterschool activity, something that sounds productive so he'll get off your case, but so boring that he won't ask for details."

We both considered it. "That's a good idea, Kaz." I commented. Ollie nodded.

"Yeah, where'd you come up with it?" He questioned.

"In alibi club." Kaz replied. "Oh, and if anybody asks, that's where I am right now."

"…Okay." I shrugged, deciding to go with it. We headed back over to Gus and Jordan.

"Help settle another argument." Gus requested. "How many times a year does the average person go to the bathroom? I say six."

 **Oliver's POV**

"Thanks for dinner, dad." Dani commented, digging into her broccoli quinoa casserole. Whenever he was in town, which wasn't very often, he'd take us to his favorite restaurant for dinner. Mom wasn't a big fan of it – she was a little possessive of us – but Dani and I generally enjoyed the evenings out.

"So, how soccer going, Dani?" Dad asked, cutting his lasagna into pieces. "Your team winning a lot?"

"We win some, we lose some." Dani shrugged. "Coach Rombough still wants to do some more tryouts, since we're missing a couple of offense."

"What about you, Oliver? You in any sports? Clubs?" He looked at me.

"Yes. Dani and I are both in…the school play." I lied. Dani narrowed her eyes at me, but went along with it.

"Yeah. We're in the drama club." She agreed.

"What play?" Despite the fact that our father despised the theatre, he seemed genuinely curious.

"Um…" Damn, I should have thought this through a bit more. "Uh…ah…"

"What kind of play is called 'Um Uh Ah'?" He questioned, misinterpreting my stuttered reply.

"It's about Frankenstein, but the monster says his name 'Um Oh Ah'." Dani didn't miss a beat, instead lying so casually that if I didn't know better, I wouldn't have doubted her.

"Don't you think Frankenstein is extremely played out?" Dad questioned.

"I suppose." Dani shrugged. She looked at me. "Hey, you going to finish your coleslaw?"

"Take it." I slid the tiny bowl towards her, the only thing remaining on my plate being my burger.

"Seriously though, why would a bunch of high school kids want to go see that?" Dad continued.

"It's an updated version." I lied. "One that's set in the White House."

"Oh." Dad was surprised. "That actually sounds good; I'd like to see it."

"What?" We both stared at him.

"I'd like to see it." He repeated himself calmly. "When's the next performance?"

"Um…Friday?" I looked at Dani, slightly panicked. This wasn't how this was supposed to go.

"Wonderful. I'll be there." Dad promised us. Dani and I exchanged looks, thinking the exact same thing: what did we get ourselves into?

 **Dani's POV**

While Ollie went to go tell Kaz about our problem, I headed over to the main desk and began to check through files, seeing if there was anything interesting to do today.

"Oh, hey Dani." Skylar greeted, walking over to me. I nodded in greeting, while scanning through a report. "What's wrong with Oliver?"

I glanced over my shoulder to see him freaking out in front of Kaz. "Kaz gave us some advice that totally backfired, and he's freaking out." I replied. Skylar raised an eyebrow. "Okay, long story short, on Friday, my dad wants to go see a play that doesn't exist because Ollie and I told him we've been doing that after school instead of coming here. And now Ollie's worried we're going to get caught in our lie."

"Well, when you're caught in a lie, there's only one thing you to do, really." Skylar offered.

"Pile an even bigger lie on top of the first lie?" I guessed. She looked at me.

"No, tell the truth." She stated, acting as if that should have been the obvious answer. I shrugged.

"Nah, not my style." I replied. "So anyway, Ollie and I now have to write and produce an entire school play by Friday. Which pretty much means we'll have to get Horace to give us the rest of the week off."

"Wait," Skylar chuckled lightly, "So you're telling me that you can't work at Mighty Med so your dad doesn't find out that you work at Mighty Med."

"It's pretty funny when you think about it." I agreed.

"No, it's not!" Ollie called across the room.

"It's pretty funny when I think about it." Kaz commented, coming to my defense. Ollie gave him an annoyed look, and rolled his eyes, then looked at me.

"What are we going to do?" He questioned. I shrugged.

"Simple. We'll work today's shift, then ask Horace for a few days off. Since I have better marks in English than you, I'll write the play. You do some auditions afterschool, try to get someone involved and helping out. It'll be fine." I assured him.

"I hope you're right." He muttered.

"When am I not?" I asked in response. He opened his mouth to reply, but I silenced him quickly. "Don't answer that."

I turned back to Skylar. "So, what about you? What are you doing today?"

"I've got some physical therapy with Horace, yay." Skylar rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping from her tone. "And then…nothing. It's not like I know anyone around here, and I can't exactly fly home either."

"That sucks." I smiled apologetically. She nodded, then headed down the hall towards the rec room. I quickly slipped into my lab coat, grabbed a clipboard, then walked over to one of the patients, ready for another day at work.

 **Kaz's POV**

After Oliver and Dani left, I was free to continue my search for Brain Matter without the judgment of my two best friends. For my first step, I decided to ask Horace, seeing as he would at least have medical knowledge on the superhero. Perhaps he knew what had happened.

I walked into the rec room, remembering that Skylar had mentioned something about physical therapy earlier. Sure enough, both she and Horace were in the room, in the back where the gunfire simulator was.

"Horace, I've got a question for you." I announced, walking in.

"Is it important?" He questioned, walking up to me.

"Probably not." I admitted. He smiled.

"Then you have my full attention." He told me, delighted by my response. "Hardly anyone is asking the really unimportant questions these days."

"I know!" About time someone agreed with me. I took a seat in one of the armchairs, and he sat on the couch across from me. "Hey, anyway, since comic books are based off of real superheroes, I was wondering why there aren't any more stories about Brain Matter."

He froze, just as dark, threatening music began to play, and a woman's scream filled the air.

"Sorry, that was my phone." Skylar apologized when the sound stopped. "I was just changing the ringtone."

"Why do you have a phone?" I asked, surprised. "You've been on this planet for, like, a week. You don't know anybody."

"That's why I got the 'no friends and no family' plan." She replied before looking back towards the screen. I shrugged and turned back to Horace.

"So, what happened to Brain Matter?" I inquired.

Again, Horace reacted very strangely at the sound of Brain Matter's name, this time gasping. Horror music began to play again, though I assumed it was Skylar's phone.

"Why do you keep going that every time I say Brain Matter?" I questioned. He once again gasped, but didn't say anything else. "Oh, you're hiding something, and not very well."

I moved to sit on the table between the two seats, closing the distance between us.

"Stop meddling!" Horace snapped, standing up. He handed me a sheet. "I have some important work for you to do."

"Change light bulbs, clear away cobwebs." I read before looking up at Horace accusingly. "This is just busy work."

"No, it isn't." Horace lied. I stared at him.

"The title of the list is 'Busy Work for Oliver'!" I called, even as Horace raced from the room. "At least give me the right list!"

I sighed, shaking my head. "Something weird's going on here." I said, walking over to Skylar, who was jumping rope in the corner. "Something scary and weird, and I'm going to find out what that big secret is."

"Can I help?" Skylar requested, dropping her jump ropes. "I'm going nuts sitting around here, waiting for my powers to return. I'm so desperate, I'm willing to voluntarily spend time with you."

"You know, that's not the first time I've heard that, and I'm not insulted." I admitted before nodding. "Sure, you can help, but be careful; it could be dangerous."

I turned to leave, just to come face to face with Horace's annoying nephew, Alan. "Ah!" I shouted, surprised that he'd gotten so close without me noticing.

"Hello?" Skylar answered her phone, obviously thinking that my scream had been her ringtone. "Huh." She put the phone away. "No one there."

"You're right, there is a secret, and it's the most amazing secret ever." Alan told me, having eavesdropped on the entire conversation. "And I could tell you what it is, but I never will!"

"Is it that nobody likes you?" I guessed.

"Ha! That's not a secret." Alan snapped. I rolled my eyes and jerked my head towards the door, motioning for Skylar to follow me. Alan was obviously a little insulted that we left rather than start an argument with him, but he just really wasn't worth the time.

 **Oliver's POV**

Now, since no one showed up at the auditions (and I do mean no one) and Dani was in Study Hall, trying to write a half-decent play with a ridiculous theme, I decided to go find the two people I knew I could convince to help us out.

"Jordan, Gus!" I exclaimed, catching sight of them over by Jordan's locker. "Dani and I need a favor. You have to help us put on a play by tomorrow."

"Why?" Jordan asked.

"So our dad doesn't keep asking me where I go after school every day." I replied quickly, praying they'd say yes.

"Where do you go after school every day?" Jordan asked.

"I have got to start preparing for follow-up questions." I muttered. Suddenly, my phone vibrated. I quickly checked it to see who it was from.

 **Text From: Dani**

 **B's on board to help with the play, but if he asks, we work at Subway after school :)**

Maybe it was luck, maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe it was the twin telepathy Kaz swore we had, but it didn't matter: Dani had just given me the perfect lie to answer Jordan's question with.

"We have a job at Subway, making sandwiches." I told them. "But we have to keep it a secret from our dad."

"Why wouldn't you want your father to know you make sandwiches?" Gus questioned incredulously.

"He hates sandwiches, okay?" I exclaimed, trying to pretend I was overly emotional about this. "He hates sandwiches, and Dani and I love them, and it's tearing our family apart!"

They just stared at me. "Now, will you help us put on this play, or not?"

"Absolutely." Jordan agreed. "But only because I'm sure it'll be terrible, and there's nothing more delightful than watching a couple of friends fail."

"Then why don't you like me more?" Gus asked, offended.

"I said watching a FRIEND fail." Jordan insisted.

"Fair enough." Gus agreed. He looked at me. "I'll do it too but only if you bring free sandwiches, and hold the mayo."

"Fine." It wouldn't be that hard to go pick up a sandwich platter from the store before we started working on the play.

"No, seriously." Gus slipped off his backpack and pulled a large, industrial-sized jar of mayonnaise out. He handed it to me. "Hold the mayo."

I stared at it, confused. "Why…"

"Thank you. This backpack's so much lighter with only one jar of mayo in it." He patted my shoulder and both he and Jordan left, leaving me standing in the middle of the hall with a massive jar of mayonnaise in my hands.

"Uh, nice mayo, Oliver." I turned to see Barry looking at me, clearly judging me.

"Gus…" Barry stopped me after that one word.

"Say no more. He handed me an entire jar of ketchup last week that was at least the same size as that one, if not bigger." He told me. I nodded, not even surprised. "So, Dani gave me the gist of what's going on. But I don't get it – how did you guys get fired from volunteering at the hospital?"

"It was Kaz's fault." I lied. Barry nodded thoughtfully.

"Figured. Dani likes him and all, but he's going to get you guys in some serious trouble one of these days." He commented. I frowned, but didn't disagree with him, since he was probably right. "So, I'd love to help with the play, except I suck at drama."

"We could an usher." I suggested, shrugging. He nodded.

"Cool. Sounds fun." He agreed. "Now, Dani mentioned free sandwiches?"

 **Dani's POV**

"Frankenstein, Frankenstein…White House…" I stared at my blank sheet of paper in frustration. Usually, I was a good story teller. I liked stories, I liked plays, and I liked writing (don't ever tell Ollie or Kaz, I will be endlessly mocked, I swear). But I was coming up blank, unable to think of a single thing to write. Perfect timing, I supposed, the one time my love of the English language would come in handy, and I was stuck.

"Hello?" The sound of a heavy, foreign accent drew me from my thoughts. A tall girl with fiery red hair walked into the room, clutching a yellow piece of paper in her right hand. She was wearing a light green skirt and a white blouse, a white purse hanging from her shoulder. "Is this the room for History 101?"

"Yeah, but class doesn't start for another twenty minutes." I replied, tossing down my pencil in frustration. "You new? I haven't seen you before."

"Yeah, I just moved here." The girl replied, sitting down in the desk in front of me and twisting around so we could chat easier. "My dad got posted here."

"From Ireland?" I guessed, recognizing her accent. She nodded. "Huh, I thought the whole red-headed Irish girl thing was a stereotype."

"Well, we're not ALL red-heads." She laughed lightly. "But my parents are, so I am too. The name's Alivia, by the way. Alivia McLean."

"Dani Short." I shook her hand. She glanced at my piece of paper.

"Late homework?" She guessed.

"Trying to write a play." I admitted. She frowned, confused.

"Why?" She sounded baffled. I sighed.

"Long story short, my brother and I lied to our dad, and now we're just trying to get away with it before he finds out."

"…Need some help?" Alivia offered. I looked at her, surprised.

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I like the dramatic arts." She admitted. "I'm not an actor or anything, but I used to help backstage at my old school. We could work together on this."

"Okay, cool." I replied. "What kind of plays?"

"Couple of dramas, Romeo and Juliet, and a couple of self-written ones. Did one about the superhero Clone Master last year." She replied with a shrug. I grinned.

"Clone Master? As in the Irish superhero with the ability to duplicate himself?" I asked. She nodded, smiling. "You're into comic books?"

"Of course." She agreed. "Clone Master is my favorite."

"I'm more of a Tecton girl myself, but CM's pretty cool." I'd actually met the guy this morning, since he was coming into to deal with a few broken ribs. He was pretty funny, to be honest, and a little charming if I might add. "Doesn't he have a sidekick?"

"Geminus." Alivia nodded. I smiled – even though I'd never met the young superheroine, it was pretty cool that there were teenaged superheroes out there.

"She seems cool too." I mentioned. Alivia smiled.

"So, what's this play about, anyway?" She asked, leaning forward. I smiled, glad that I'd found another girl who was into comic like me. The only other one I knew was Jordan, and she preferred RPGs and video games to actual comic books. And as much as I loved debating superheroes with the guys, I knew it was going to be a lot more fun doing so with another girl.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Hey!" I called, storming into the rec room, where Horace was working with one of the superheroes. "Skylar and I have looked files for information about Brain Matter, and we found this."

I handed him a file, then crossed my arms. "Brain Matter checked into the hospital years ago, but never checked out." Skylar exclaimed.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Horace lied. I glared at him, hating that he was acting like we were stupid.

"If you don't tell me what it is, I will…" I thought of the worst thing I could possibly imagine, "…Start beat boxing right now."

"He's just crazy enough to do it." Skylar warned. Horace just looked at us, so I followed through with my threat, immediately beginning to beat box.

"Okay! Okay, stop! I'll tell you!" Horace shouted after a couple of seconds. "The tale of Brain Matter is dark and macaw-re. Because of him, something monstrous is hidden behind some door in Mighty Med. Whatever you do, do not open that door. It is the Door of Doom!" He exclaimed before continuing in a more cheerful voice, "Now, we're having problems with the locks, so I need you to open every door in Mighty Med."

"But what about the Door of Doom?" I protested as he started to walk away.

"Do not open the Door of Doom!" Horace insisted.

"But how will we know which door it is?" Skylar demanded.

"I've said too much!" Horace hissed in a low whisper before fleeing the room.

"Actually, you haven't!" I shouted after him, but he either didn't hear me, or purposefully ignored me. Either one was possible. I looked at Skylar, who shook her head helplessly.

"So I guess we just choose a door and hope for the best?" I suggested and, not having a better idea, Skylar agreed.

 **Oliver's POV**

It only took us a few hours to set up the stage for the play, complete with a large window, a presidential desk, a portable white door, and a table for our monster to be born on.

Barry was currently setting up the sounds and lighting, Dani's new friend Alivia was going over details of the production with the principal (who was surprising cool with us doing an impromptu school play), Dani herself was fiddling with one of the displays to make sure it didn't fall during the performance, Jordan was going over the script, and Gus was waiting for me at the center of the stage.

"Thanks for helping us, guys." I commented, placing the two platters of sandwiches on the table. "Gus, Barry, here are the sandwiches you guys asked for. The ones on the left are Veggie Delights, and the ones on the right are BLTs."

"Those sandwiches were free, by the way." Dani added. I nodded.

"Yeah. They totally weren't 5.99 each because we work at Subway." I agreed. Both guys immediately went for the food, but while Barry seemed totally satisfied with his payment, Gus was not.

"Gross. I don't want these." Gus wrinkled his nose in disgust. "There's mayo on them."

"You carry around gallons of mayo." Dani pointed out, staring at him.

"Not to eat." Gus insisted.

"Then what do you…" Barry changed his mind mid-sentence. "Actually, I probably don't want to know."

"You really don't." Gus agreed.

"I have a comment about the script." Jordan announced as Alivia walked back up to the stage. "There's a point where watching your friends fail is no longer delightful, and instead just becomes…FANTASTIC!"

"You don't like the script." Dani noted, sighing. Jordan beamed.

"Oh, let me congratulate you on how truly awful this script is." She agreed.

"It's the subject matter that's the problem." Alivia insisted. "Whose stupid idea was it to put Frankenstein in de White House?"

Dani coughed loudly, slipping a quick "Oliver's!" between the fake coughs. I sent my sister an annoyed glare, to which she responded with an innocent smile. "Besides, it doesn't have to be good. It just has to convince our father that it's an actual play."

"And it's not even that bad." I mean, it was hardly Dani's best work, but it wasn't the worst I'd ever seen either. My sister smiled at me before looking at everyone else.

"Now, in the first scene, Oliver, AKA President Frankenstein, will bring Gus, his hideous vice-president creature, to life."

"Now, I want the atmosphere to be scary." I directed.

"You want scary?" Gus questioned. "Two words: use dry ice to make fog."

Dani frowned. "It is scary that you think that was two words."

"But I would love fog all over the stage." I agreed. "Good idea, Gus."

"Done," Gus nodded, "I know a guy – let's call him 'Louie' – who can get dry ice."

"Everybody knows a guy who can get dry ice." Jordan pointed out.

"Anyone can get it." Barry agreed.

"Nu-uh." Gus shook his head. "I know a guy – let's call him 'Ira' – who can't get dry ice. But since we need dry ice, I will not be calling Ira today."

Alivia watched this all with a skeptical gaze. "The people at me old school were never this strange."

 **Kaz's POV**

Skylar and I creeped through the halls, now paranoid of opening the wrong door and discovering what was behind the Door of Doom.

"I'm so conflicted!" I sighed. "I'm dying to find out what happened to Brain Matter, but I don't want to die finding out what happened to Brain Matter."

"What if we open the Door of Doom?" Skylar worried. Suddenly, the lights in the hallway went out, leaving us a in dark hallway. The only light we could see came from emergency exit signs, casting a red glow across the small hallway.

"I wish I would have done item one on Horace's list." I muttered, half to myself. "Change the light bulbs."

We came across the first door, then hesitated. For all we knew, this was the Door of Doom.

I gripped the door knob tightly and slowly turned it, pushing the creaky door open. When I saw what was inside, I shouted in surprise and leapt back, staring at the two ghoul-like girls.

"Oh relax. They're just selling Super Scout Cookies." Skylar rolled her eyes at me, then smiled at the girls. "I'll take two boxes of Mutant Mints."

The girls pulled out two boxes of cookies, but I wasn't sure if I really wanted any. "Those don't have coconut in them, right? Because I hate coconut."

Instead of responding, the two little monsters hissed at me, much to Skylar's amusement.

After buying her cookies, Skylar followed me the second door. I opened this one slowly at first, then all at once. Skylar and I both screamed when we saw what was inside, because seriously, who doesn't scream when they see an old man (even if it's an old superhero man) getting a sponge bath.

By time we reached door number three, Skylar was a little bored, while I was even more nervous. There couldn't be many doors left in the hospital, could there? This was the last hallway we'd checked, so this had to be it, right?

"It's the only door we haven't opened." I commented, gulping nervously. "It's gotta be the Door of Doom.'

"Stop being such a baby." Skylar snapped, obviously impatient. She pushed past me and threw open the door, only to scream in horror when she saw Alan clipping his disgusting, yellow and long toenails. "My eyes!"

"Hey!" Alan shouted, jumping to his feet. "A little privacy, please?" He then slammed the door in our faces, leaving me and Skylar wondering which door could possibly be the Door of Doom.

 **Dani's POV**

Mostly thanks to Barry, we managed to get a full house. The crowd was filled with people who'd come to see our badly written (and probably badly acted) play, making it look more authentic. There was no way my dad wouldn't believe us, so long as we got through the night without any problems.

I watched from backstage, giving directions to the actors and Alivia, who was working the sound and lights systems. Ollie was sitting in a large armchair behind the desk, facing towards the back of the stage, while Gus, wearing a suit and skin painted green, lay on a table. Jordan was kneeling next to the table, looking a little bored, if I was to be honest.

As the curtains back, the sound of organs playing loudly before going quiet, I nodded at my brother to give him his queue. He spun around slowly in his chair, facing the audience.

"They called me 'mad' when I created a monster who would have tie-breaking vote in the senate." He proclaimed, getting up and walking towards Gus. "Now, before being one heartbeat away from presidency, I must give it…" Jordan handed him some fake defibrillator paddles that we got from the health room. "A heart beat!"

He was supposed to press them down on Gus' chest, act like a shock was produced, then Gus would come to life. However, Gus' phone beeped loudly and he sat up, checking his texts.

"Gus!" I hissed, glaring at him. What was he doing?

"I've gotta go." I heard him tell Ollie, though. "My dad has a meeting and he needs his suit back."

"Um, we can't do the play without you." Ollie hissed, forcing a smile onto his face for the crowd. "The monster's in every scene."

"Sorry."

Ollie glanced at the crowd, then at me, as if I had any suggestions. The problem was, Ollie was usually the one getting us out of trouble, not the other way around.

"Try impov!" Barry half-shouted, half-whispered. It was loud enough that Ollie could clearly hear him, though none of the audience could. "People love improv!"

"People hate improv." I pointed out.

"I know; it's the worst." He agreed as Jordan snuck backstage with us.

"This is great!" She beamed at us. I looked at my brother.

"Improv!" I instructed. He gave me a look that told me he wasn't particularly happy with the idea, but didn't bother arguing with me. He turned back to crowd with a fake smile.

"My monster! I-It's alive!" He exclaimed before gesturing in the direction Gus had fled in. "And has to run some errands."

 **Kaz's POV**

I sighed as we walked into the rec room, a little disappointed that we didn't find the Door of Doom. Even though I was terrified to find out what was behind it, it was the kind of fear that was exhilarating.

"Well, we opened every door in the hospital." I commented, walking over to the fridge. "No Door of Doom, and no Brain Matter."

"Maybe Horace was just testing us. Maybe there is no Door of Doom." Skylar suggested as I looked for something to snack on. I looked inside, then screamed when I saw the empty box of frozen treats.

"What's wrong?" Skylar demanded.

"We're out of tofu-pops!" I exclaimed, snatching the box off the top shelf. "Dani must have taken the last one and not replaced the box."

I looked back in the freezer, hoping to find something else that was tasty to eat. Instead, I saw a Brain Matter action figure, sitting just behind where the tofu-pops had been. "That's weird. Who put a Brain Matter figurine in the freezer?"

I reached inside to pull it out, and was surprised that it weighed a ton, as if it were made of something aside from plastic. "Oh, wow. This thing's really heavy." I commented, placing it on the floor.

The moment I put it down, the figure began to glow and shake.

"Why's it glowing?" Skylar demanded, backing up. I followed her lead, thinking that it probably wasn't a good idea to be near that thing right now. "What's going on?"

The figurine grew until it was the size and shape of a fully grown man. In fact, it was a fully grown man. Holy crap, it was Brain Matter.

"I don't believe this. You're the real Brain Matter!" I exclaimed, grinning. "What happened to you?"

"The last thing I remember…" The curly haired scientist thought, trying to remember. "I was conducting an experiment on myself. Something went terribly wrong, but I can't remember what!"

He gasped suddenly, falling to the floor, his body shaking. He pulled off his lab coat, and suspenders as his body began to grow and morph. In a matter of seconds, he's done from a 6 foot nerd to an 8 foot, purple monster.

"Now I remember!" He bellowed, his voice echoing. Skylar and I raced towards the door as he rampaged through the room, breaking everything in sight.

"What did you do?" Horace demanded, pushing his way into the room. "I told you not to open the Door of Doom!"

"Why didn't you just tell me not to open the freezer?" I demanded.

"Because I know you!" He retorted. "If I said 'Kaz, don't open the freezer' the first thing you'd do is open the freezer."

"I opened it anyway!" I shouted, exasperated, just before Brain Matter…or whatever that monster was…destroyed another piece of exercise equipment.

"Uh, guys? He can pulverize things." Skylar pointed out the obvious.

"Everyone up here, quick!" Horace ordered, leaping onto the training simulator area. "Huddle together!" He pushed us directly behind him before raising his hands. "Force field, activate!"

A light blue force field appeared around us, successfully protecting us.

"What happened?" I demanded, stunned. "Brain Matter was a hero! How'd he become this monster?"

"You're like a dog with a bone. Just let it go." Horace advised. I looked at him.

"Alright, if that's the way you want it." I told him before beginning to beat box.

"Okay, okay fine." Horace whimpered. "I'll tell you. "Brain Matter was a brilliant scientist and crime fighter who invented his own weapons. Miracles of technology that made him a hero to reckoned with. But Brain Matter grew envious of superheroes who didn't have to rely on weapons. So he developed a serum that would give him his own superpowers." He explained. "I'd heard the rumors, so I went to investigate, but I was too late."

"When did this happen? I think heard something about that." Skylar mentioned thoughtfully.

"About five years ago." He replied before continuing on with his story. "Brain Matter made a miscalculation with the serum, and turned into a hideous, violent beast, with an insatiable appetite for human brains. By freezing the monster, we were able to neutralize and shrink him. We stored him here until we could develop a cure."

"If he is so dangerous, why would you keep him in a regular freezer?" Skylar questioned.

"He was hidden behind the tofu-pops. Who would eat a tofu-pop?" He questioned, looking at me pointedly. I raised my hands in defense.

"Hey, don't blame me. Dani's the one who got me hooked." I informed him as Brain Matter slammed his fists against the force field, making it shake violently.

"The force field is stretched too thin, trying to protect all of us." Horace realized, stepping back a bit from the edge of the force field.

"We need to figure out a way to freeze him." Skylar exclaimed, looking at Horace. "Do you have some kind of freezing chamber in this hospital?"

"Do we have some kind of freezing chamber in this hospital?" Horace said mockingly before turning serious once again. "No, but we have a freezing ray in the E.R."

"Alright, let me think." I quickly came up with an idea. "Oh! I got it. Okay, Horace, let me out, and I will lure him to the freezing ray."

"He'll rip you apart. I can't let you do that." Horace denied it.

"Let him. Let him!" Alan pleaded with his uncle.

"Kaz, are you sure about this?" Horace questioned.

"I'm never sure of anything I do, why would I start now?" I responded with. Horace nodded and opened up a small door in the force field, just big enough for me to get out through.

"Wait!" Skylar stopped me just before I could leave. "What are you going to do?"

"When Brain Matter worked in his lab, he always listened to Mozart, and he hated to be disturbed." I told her. "The one thing that disturbed him the most was…"

I stepped outside the force field and looked at Brain Matter. "Hey! Brain Matter!" I got his attention before I began to beat box as loudly as I could. It roared loudly, and I knew I should probably run. I raced past him, heading straight for the ER.

Nurses and orderlies fled the room quickly, while I ran around the desk in the middle of the room, the monster not far behind me. Horace skirted around the edge of the room, towards a metal trolley full of tools and gadgets.

"Horace! Is the freezing ray ready?" I demanded as I circled the desks, trying to avoid getting pulverized.

"Oh no! We're out of dry ice!" Horace shouted.

"Help! Do something!" I demanded, backing away as Brain Matter advanced on me. Horace tried to freeze him the way he froze Alan when we first met, but apparently, Brain Matter was too strong for it to work. The monster spun around, sending the force back at Horace. It hit him clean off his feet and knocked him to the ground.

Brain Matter turned back to me, narrowing his eyes at my head. "Don't eat my brains." I begged. "Okay, I'm sorry about beat boxing, but…do you want to hear some Mozart?"

To my surprise, he nodded. I guess monster Brain Matter liked Mozart as much as regular Brain Matter. But unfortunately, I was out of luck.

"I don't know any Mozart." I admitted before tearing out the secret entrance to Mighty Med. Brain Matter followed me, only a few feet behind me as I tried to figure out where to go.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Okay, so for my next improv…" I thought quickly. "I am an astronaut in a sporting goods store, acting in the style of Shakespeare."

I could see my friends from behind the curtain. Barry was shaking his head, giving me a sympathetic look, while Dani was struggling to hold in her laughter. Jordan wasn't even pretending to hide her amusement, bent over and laughing gleefully. Alivia kept looking like she wanted to help, but didn't know how.

Thankfully, Gus ran back onto the stage in the middle of my act, now wearing a woman's red suit. "I had to give my dad his suit back." He explained. "But I got one from my mom."

I looked at him, and decided that I should just go with it. "At last! My monster has returned." I proclaimed, acting as if it were all part of the scene. But before I could say anymore lines, Kaz ran out from the opposite side of the stage, breathing heavy as if he'd been running a long time.

"Kaz, what are you doing here?" Dani demanded, once again taking this seriously. "We're in the middle of a play!"

"Monster. Beat boxing. Mozart!" He panted, trying to regain his breath.

"He already did that improv." Jordan chuckled, wiping tears of joy from her eyes.

"Chased me. All the way from…" He lowered his voice, so only I could hear the last bit, "…from Mighty Med. Lost him."

Apparently, he didn't lose him, though, as a tall, purple, humanoid monster rampaged onto the stage, roaring. "Ah! Didn't lose him!" Kaz shouted, jumping at the sound of the monsters' roar.

Dani ran onto the stage, not even caring about the audience. "What is going on?" She demanded.

"That's Brain Matter." Kaz quickly explained. Dani looked at him.

"You found him?" She questioned. He nodded. "Okay, see this? This is why people don't ask the unimportant questions. It ends with big purple monsters!"

"He accidently turned himself into a brain-eating monster." Kaz informed us as Brain Matter destroyed the presidential desk.

"We have to do something." I decided, watching him. Barry and Jordan were still watching from behind the curtains, but Alivia had stepped closer to the main part of the stage. She wasn't quite visible from the audience, but she was getting closer, as if she wanted to help us.

"The only way to stop him is to freeze him." Kaz told us. Dani looked behind her at the coffin full of dry ice.

"What about dry ice? Can we push him in there?" She questioned.

"Good idea!" I agreed. "And I think I know how to do it."

"The love of Brain Matter's life was his lab assistant, the brilliant but homely, Colleen MacKenzie." I reminded the two of them. They both nodded.

"That's right! He's been searching for her ever since she disappeared on a foggy night." Dani remembered.

"We need a Colleen MacKenzie!" I exclaimed.

"Jordan!" Kaz exclaimed, pointing at her. One look told us we were wrong.

"Not homely enough." I decided.

"Well, it can't be Dani, or the red, over there." Kaz waved his hand in Alivia's direction. "They wouldn't be believable."

"I'm taking that as a compliment." Dani decided. "What about Gus?"

"Gus works." I agreed. Alivia looked at us.

"What's going on?" She demanded.

"Ooh, Irish." Kaz smirked, clearly liking her. Dani rolled her eyes.

"It's all part of the play. Just roll with it." She lied before looking at Gus. "Gus, go stand by the coffin."

"If I had a dollar for every time I heard that…" He shook his head, but went to stand right next to the coffin.

"Oh no. The monster has Jordan." Kaz exclaimed. We turned to see Brain Matter holding Jordan above the ground, while she laughed.

"This play just keeps getting worse and worse. This is the best day ever." She giggled.

"Hey, Brain Matter!" Kaz shouted, getting his attention. "Look! Look! Hey, it's Colleen. She's returned to you."

The monster dropped Jordan, staring at Gus. If this were a cartoon, there'd be hearts in his eyes, judging by the way he seemed to completely and totally focus on him. Brain Matter slowly walked towards Gus, who was completely confused as to why the monster was looking at him like that.

The moment Brain Matter was close enough, Dani, Kaz, and I ran forward, hitting him from behind. Brain Matter fell in and we quickly slid the top of the coffin into place as a green light filtered through the cracks. After a few seconds, the light died away and Dani slowly lifted the lid, peering inside.

"It worked." She sighed in relief before high-fiving me and Kaz. The crowd burst into applause, clearly thinking it was part of the play, and we decided to roll with it.

Barry, Jordan, Alivia, Gus, Kaz, Dani, and I walked to the center of the stage, bowing to our audience.

"So, does this monster guy go to our school?" Jordan asked after a moment. "Because he's totally my type."

"Uh…no. He was…" Dani tried to think of an explanation.

"Jeffrey, from Subway." I lied.

"And he has a girlfriend." Kaz added, coming up for an excuse as to why she wouldn't be allowed to date him.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Hey." I greeted Oliver and Dani at the bottom of the stairs in the lobby of the school. Oliver, who was still in his outfit for the play, was carrying a cooler, while Dani was searching through her bag.

"So, turns out our dad never even showed up." Oliver complained.

"Typical." Dani muttered, still looking through her bag for something. "We worked for minutes and minutes on that play!"

"He probably had to work late again." Oliver reasoned.

"Huh, that's what he said. He just called." I replied, holding up a cell phone. Dani stared at me.

"Why do you have my phone?" She demanded, closing her backpack. She must have been looking for it, I decided.

"That's what he said." I agreed. She held out her hand.

"Phone." She ordered warningly. I handed it over.

"Anyway, I told him that the play went so well, that the school wants to do an encore performance." I continued, smirking at the horrified looks on their faces.

"What?" Dani demanded.

"He's going to want to come!" Oliver exclaimed. I nodded.

"That's what he said." I agreed.

"So, now we have to do this all over again?" Oliver demanded, angry. "I can't believe you did this!"

"Hey, save your energy." I urged. "You have a performance tomorrow."

Oliver let out a frustrated sigh and began to stalk away. "Where are you going?" I called after him.

"To find Gus and Jordan!" He shouted back. Dani watched him go, then glanced sideways at me.

"My dad didn't really call, did he?" She guessed.

"Nope." I replied, smirking. "Just wanted to see how you guys would react."

"Should we tell Ollie?" She asked. We both considered it, then decided at the same time.

"Nah."

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? Good, bad? What did you think of Alivia? She's going to be an interesting character, and she'll have an interesting character arc that I think you'll all enjoy. But for now, tell me what you guys think.**

 **Anyway, the next few chapters will be updated on these dates:**

 **April 18** **th** **– I, Normo**

 **April 25** **th** **– Sm'Oliver's Travels**

 **May 1** **st** **– Pranks for Nothing**

 **Now, remember that reviews motivate me to write sooner and faster, so keep reviewing! I love to hear from you guys!**


	4. I Normo

**Kihonne: I'm glad you really liked the chapter so much. Now, I'm back with I, Normo. Personally, I thought the episode was cute, and a good episode particularly for Skylar. Anyway, before I get onto the chapter, it's shoutout time!**

 **Xxx**

 **Icehale: I'm glad you enjoyed it so much, especially the ending. I thought it was cute. As for the issue, basically I found out that it had been plagiarized by someone on another site. I won't go into the details, since the person was mature about how they handled it, and things have been dealt with and their copy of it has been taken down. I'm glad you like how close Oliver and Dani are, and how their relationship is built. Siblings fight all the time, but I've enjoyed writing close sibling relationships. And the fact that they're not only twin siblings (I have a slight fascination with twins), but their parents aren't really around for them much, so it makes sense that they're rely on each other more than the average sibling. Besides, it'll make chapters in which they actually do fight more dramatic if they're so close. Kaz does care about Dani a lot, though at this point, he hasn't really considered her…as girlfriend material, I suppose (not really sure how to explain what I mean) so it'll be fun to show how their relationship progresses. They are a bit like Calla and Chase (relationship-wise) though I feel as if they're going to get into a few more fights than Challa does because while Calla and Chase are more on the cautious side of things, both Dani and Kaz are hot-heads, and they will butt heads with each other from time to time. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! XD**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: Maybe there is something more to Alivia than meets the eye. Or maybe, she's just your everyday, new student. I know what's going to happen with Alivia's character, and I know bits about her background that you don't, but I don't want to say anything, since I risk spoiling major plot developments. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you like this chapter too.**

 **LabGirl2001: I'm glad you like Alivia's character, as well as the chapter. As for someone knowing something they shouldn't…well, you could be right about that.**

 **Guest: I'm glad you liked both stories so much. I hope the rest of this story continues to impress.**

 **Avaoreo1112: Hey, I like readers who get excited about the story. It's actually touching. And don't worry; I don't think you're weird. I think you're a fan, and I act the same way when it comes to the things I'm excited about. I'm glad so many people took so well to Alivia – I wanted Dani to have a girl friend (aside from Jordan) who she could chat with about the things she can't talk to Oliver and Kaz (because they're guys) or Skylar (because she's spent virtually no time on the planet Earth) about. As for any other OCs…what can I say without spoiling anything? Alright. Remember the superheroes Dani and Alivia were talking about? Clone Master and Geminus? I suggest you remember those names, because they'll both be important. Aside from them, there won't be many OCs. There will be a chapter in which three very important OCs make their appearance, but aside from that, probably not anyone important. There's some info up on my profile concerning the OCs, but not very much (I was trying to be brief). Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **IAMAGUEST: Yes, go Irish! I've always loved their culture, and I'm actually of Irish descent on my father's side. As for Barry and Kani (I prefer that one to Daz, but it's the fans who decide the pairing name, not me), some stuff will be happening with them really soon. And Alivia? That is an interesting guess. I wonder if you'll be right or wrong? I guess you'll have to wait and see.**

 **Tastetherainbow: I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I would love to read your Mighty Med fic when it comes out. :)**

 **Guest: Thanks for being so honest with your review. I appreciate the constructive criticism. Perhaps you're right about it not being my best work, though might I inquire why, specifically you thought it was poor? Was it just the description of Brain Matter, or was there more? I'd like to work on making the chapters better, and if there are specific parts you think I should put more focus on, I'd like to know. It would be very helpful. I do have to admit, though, that I could have described Brain Matter better. I had a little difficulty with that, since he really didn't have any distinguish features aside from his curly hair (as a human, I mean). As for Alivia, I think you're going to like what I have planned for her. Please enjoy this chapter.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, let's get onto the story, shall we?**

 **Skylar: Kihonne doesn't own mighty med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, Barry, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Dani's POV**

Ah, Mondays. I know most people generally hate Mondays, but it was actually one of my favorite days of the week. I had soccer practice before school, it was the only day of the week we didn't have math class, and because Mom always worked later on Mondays, Ollie and I could work a little later at Mighty Med. So, I considered it a good day.

I had gotten up early, went for a jog and had gone straight to soccer practice before coming to meet the guys at our lockers, as per our usual routine. But since classes didn't start for another twenty minutes, we were left to entertain ourselves.

For me, that meant catching up on all overdue homework. Ollie was looking through a comic book, and Kaz was looking at…well, he was looking at Stephanie Sorenson…again.

"Whoever came up with exclamation points is a genius!" Ollie exclaimed, standing above me. Neither Kaz nor I were really listening, not that he noticed. "Otherwise superheroes would be, like, 'don't panic, I'll save you…'"

"I don't think they're listening." Alivia said, walking over to us.

"Nope." I agreed, not looking up from my math homework. I sighed and looked up at my brother. "This is stupid and impossible. Let me copy yours?"

"You won't learn anything if you don't do it yourself." Ollie replied. I rolled my eyes.

"Look. There's Stephanie." Kaz said suddenly, smiling in the direction of a tall, thin girl with long blonde hair and expensive clothing. Stephanie Sorenson was one of the richest, prettiest girls in our school. All the guys were into her (except Ollie. I didn't know why, but man was I grateful that I didn't have to hear both him and Kaz go on about her), though I wasn't all that big of a fan. I mean, it wasn't that I was jealous of her money or anything, but she was just far too superficial and downright mean for me to understand why anyone could like her. "She's so pretty and shallow." Kaz continued, still smiling. "She's exactly my type."

I snorted in amusement at that. "Really? Well, she is stupid, so I guess…" I mentioned. Kaz chose to ignore me.

"You know what? I'm going to ask her to the school carnival tonight." He decided. We all looked at him in surprise.

"What?" Ollie demanded. "She's the most popular girl in school! You've got no shot with her."

"Don't take this the wrong way, Kaz, but I don't think you're her type." Alivia added, giving him a sympathetic smile.

"Of course I am. We shared a moment today!" He insisted. "She leaned over and said 'is that you that smells like that?' and I said 'no, it's not me. It's something I stepped in'."

"Wow, I'm sure that got her really interested." I commented snidely.

"I'm sure it did." Kaz agreed, ignoring the sarcasm.

"He's had a crush on her since we started high school." Ollie told Alivia.

"Every guy has had a crush on her since we started high school." I added, annoyed. Seriously, what was up with guys always going for the rich blonde?

"Dude, go for it." Ollie told Kaz. "We'll be right by your side."

"Thanks, buddy." Kaz smiled at him appreciatively. Ollie nodded before continuing.

"Right by your side, capturing every painful and humiliating moment on video." He continued, pulling out his new phone. "And…action!" He exclaimed, while Kaz just looked downright annoyed.

I smirked and we all watched Kaz approach Stephanie slowly, nervously.

"Uh, Stephanie?" He asked. She looked at him and smiled. "Hi, uh, I wondering if you were going to school carnival tonight?"

"Of course I'm going." Stephanie replied.

"Uh, great. Maybe-maybe we could go…together?" He suggested, shoving his hands into his pockets, which was one of his nervous habits.

Stephanie frowned at him for a moment, as if she didn't understand, then laughed loudly. "You're so funny!" She giggled. I patted Ollie's leg, as I was still sitting on the ground.

"Hey, send me that, okay?" I requested in a hushed whisper, not wanting to be caught on the microphone. He nodded in reply, not taking his eyes off the footage.

"For a second, I thought that you were, like, seriously asking ME on a date." Stephanie laughed.

"Of course it was a joke." Kaz lied, trying to save himself some humiliation. "Why would I ask you out on a date? I-I-I already have a girlfriend."

I sat up, starting to get interested. This was going to blow up in his face, for sure.

"Really?" Even Stephanie was skeptical. "What's her, like, name?"

Ollie suddenly stepped forward, gently shoving Kaz closer to Stephanie. "Sorry, I just want to keep you both in the shot." He explained.

"Uh, her name is, um…" Kaz looked around, trying to think. Alivia and I both shook our heads at him, making it clear we wouldn't be his fake girlfriend for the night. "Her name is um…" He looked up at the sign above Stephanie's locker. "Carni…Val…Time?"

"Carni what?" Stephanie questioned.

"No. Connie." Kaz decided. "Connie Valentine. Yeah, of the Chicago Valentines? They invented…Valentines?"

Kaz glanced back toward me, Alivia, and Ollie. We didn't react outwardly to what he had said, trying to keep him from getting busted in a lie. But inside, I knew we were all finding this very amusing.

"So, she's rich." Stephanie nodded thoughtfully before smiling. "I want to meet her. Introduce me to her tonight."

Kaz's eyes widened comically. "Great, later!" Stephanie walked away, her group of friends following her.

"Terrific. Now all I have to do is find a fake girlfriend in the next six hours." Kaz muttered. "So Stephanie doesn't think I'm a total loser. This is a disaster!"

"No, THIS is a disaster." Ollie insisted, showing Kaz the edits he'd made to the video. It showed Kaz being crushed by a giant anvil. Kaz looked at him, annoyed. "What? The scene needed some action."

Suddenly, I spotted Barry talking to one of the teachers. "Hey, I'll catch up with you guys later." I told them, jumping to my feet and heading towards him.

"Hey beautiful." He commented as the teacher walked away. "What's up?"

"Oh you know, the usual." I replied, brushing some of my hair out of my eyes. "So, the carnival's tonight…I know you're not the biggest fan of those things, but…"

"I can't wait." Barry told me. I smiled, though I was surprised.

"Really? I thought you didn't like them because you have that thing about clowns." I said. I mean, I'd hoped that he'd say yes, but I hadn't really expected him to.

"Well, next week is our four month anniversary. Consider it an early anniversary gift." He leaned down to kiss me. We broke away after a moment, not wanting to be accused of too much PDA at school. "The only problem is, I've got basketball practice from seven to eight."

"And I'm working until seven." I replied, a little frustrated at how our schedules worked out. Barry smiled at me.

"Well, the carnival's on until midnight, so why don't we meet somewhere at eight-thirty? It'll give you time to hang out with your friends, and then we can spend the rest of the night together."

"That sounds perfect." I replied, beaming up at him. "I'll be waiting by the kettle corn stand." I told him. Tonight was going to be perfect. Well, not for Kaz, but for me anyway.

 **Oliver's POV**

"So, any ideas who you're going to convince to be your 'Connie Valentine'?" I asked Kaz as we walked through the hospital, checking off things on our to-do list.

"No." He shook his head. "Hey, Dani's supposed to be working, right?"

"She texted me ten minutes ago. Said she and Barry lost track of the time and that she's on her way." I replied.

"She spends way too much time with him." Kaz commented. "Horace might not be too happy when he finds out how often she's been late."

"She said that she'll work on it." I defended her. I didn't know why I was defending her – I'd practically lectured her on the same thing yesterday – but I was more surprised by Kaz's issue with it. Usually, we were the ones lecturing him on being late, not the other way around.

"Sure she will." Kaz muttered, pushing open the door to the rec room. Skylar was inside, standing next to a table with a loaf of bread on it.

"Come on, stupid bread! Toast!" She cried desperately, clutching a piece of bread in a death grip. "Toast!"

"Hey Skylar. Still not heat vision?" I asked gently.

"No. I am so sick of being in this hospital. I'm bouncing off the walls here!" She complained. "Literally. I tried using my powers to run through them, but I just kept bouncing off."

"Hey, uh, why don't you hang out with us?" Kaz suggested, pulling me out of his way. "There's this carnival at our school tonight. You should totally come."

"I don't know…I've never spent any time in the Normo world." Skylar replied. "I mean, I just fly in from my planet, save humanity, and fly out. At most, I'll stop for a soft pretzel."

"They have soft pretzels at the carnival." Kaz let her know, trying to convince Skylar that this was a good idea. But she just shook her head.

"I won't fit in at your school, just like I don't fit in in the superhero world anymore." She told us.

"Oh, come on! It's just what you need." Kaz insisted. "For you and your best interests. Having nothing to do with me or my best interests at all."

Right. At first, I thought Kaz was actually trying to be nice, but by now, I'd figured out why he was inviting her. He was trying to use her to impress Stephanie.

"I could use a break from Mighty Med." Skylar said thoughtfully. Dani and I exchanged looks, then turned to Kaz.

"Kaz, can I talk to you in private?" I requested. He sighed and followed me over to the simulator, while Skylar went back to her bread. "Kaz, this is a bad idea."

"What? Why?" He questioned. "I need a fake girlfriend, Skylar wants to get out of here, it's perfect."

"Look, she just lost her powers and she's already feeling vulnerable and out of place." I reminded him, trying to get him to see some sense.

"You will not defeat me!" Skylar screamed suddenly, throwing the piece of bread at the far wall, just as Dani opened the door. My sister stepped out of the way in time to avoid being hit by the bread, but looked generally confused as to why she was suddenly being attacked by food.

"Although she could use a change of scenery." Maybe Kaz's plan wasn't the worst one out there. And if we did this properly (and by that, I mean focusing more on helping Skylar than Kaz), it might be good for her. "Fine."

"Hey, what's going on?" Dani questioned, walking over to us.

"Skylar's coming with us to the carnival." Kaz explained. Skylar beamed.

"Really?" She asked, confirming it. When I nodded, her smile grew. "Good, because any place is better than this. Except the Lava Pits of Kelnar. The lines there are SO long."

"But you'll need an alter ego so no one knows you're the real Skylar Storm." Kaz informed her. Skylar nodded.

"I'll just use the most popular girl's name from my planet: Aiyee-eeki-eeki-waa." We all stared at her.

"What?" Dani asked, shaking her head.

"Or…you could just use…Connie Valentine." Kaz suggested.

"Oh, just figured out what's going on." Dani realized. Skylar looked at her, confused. "Nevermind."

"Okay." Skylar agreed reluctantly. "But it doesn't roll off the tongue like aiyee-eeki-eeki-waa."

"I'm sorry, I just have to ask. What's the second most popular name on your planet?" I inquired curiously.

"Emily." Skylar replied. Dani chuckled.

"Figures." She replied. Kaz nodded.

"Alright, now you'll just need something to wear. Dani, you want to handle that?" Kaz asked. Dani put her hands on her hips and looked at him pointedly.

"Because I'm a girl?" She questioned.

"No, because you were complaining just last week about how you hate all the clothing your mom buys for you since it's 'not your style'. I figured you'd have something Skylar can borrow."

"Touché." Dani replied before looking over Skylar. "And yeah, I've got some stuff you can borrow."

"Great." Kaz grinned. "This should be…interesting."

 **Kaz's POV**

The carnival was actually pretty cool this year. It was an annual thing, but last year it just had a pathetic clown and a couple of food stands, and not really much to do or see. So this year, they ended up doing some extravagant. There were food stands and games and presentations, even a couple of little shops where you could buy things.

Dani had given Skylar some of the most expensive clothes her mom had ever bought her, and it did the trick of making Skylar look like a Normo. She was wearing a white blouse, a grey jacket, black pants, and a nice hat to go with.

"I'm so nervous." Skylar admitted, rubbing her hands together. "I really want to fit in as a Normo. I'm so self-conscious. How should I stand?"

"Do whatever feels comfortable." Oliver told her, trying to get her to relax. Skylar nodded.

"Okay." She replied before bending over backwards so that both her hands and her feet touched the ground.

"Except that." Dani commented, raising an eyebrow. "Please don't do that."

Skylar did half a cartwheel to get back to a regular standing position, fixed her clothes, then turned back to us.

"Just relax, and breathe." Dani advised her. "You're Skylar Storm; nothing fazes you, right?"

"Right." Skylar nodded, taking a deep breath. "Thanks."

"No problem." Dani replied.

"Guys!" Alivia jogged over to us, her red hair flying out behind her as she ran. "I need…hello?" She stopped when she saw Skylar, a very confused look on her face.

"Oh, right, Liv, this is Connie Valentine." Dani introduced the two girls. "Sk-Connie, this is our friend Alivia McLean."

"It's nice to meet you." Skylar said, smiling. Alivia frowned.

"Connie? But I thought…"

"You needed something, Red?" I asked, cutting her off before she ruined this for me. She shook her head, getting back to business.

"Jordan was supposed to help me with the Balloon Dart booth, but she's faking sick since we're right across from Gus' ring toss booth. I need someone to give me a hand."

"Crap. I promised Gus I'd help him set up." Oliver remembered.

"I'll help you with the Dart game, but only for an hour, okay?" Dani offered. Alivia nodded.

"That'd be great. Nice to meet ya, Connie." The Irish girl said before leading Dani away. Oliver looked at me.

"I'm going to go too, but while Dani and I are gone, stay with Skylar and make sure she feels comfortable." He instructed.

"Relax. I'm not going to let Skylar out of my sight." I assured him, putting my arm around her without taking my eyes off of him. Oliver raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's not Skylar." He pointed out. I turned to see that I'd put my arm around another girl from our school. We both jumped away from each other, and I looked around for Skylar, just to make sure I hadn't actually lost her. Luckily, she was just checking out some of the food that had been put out for people to eat.

"I mean it, Kaz." Oliver added before walking away to go help Gus. That was when I caught sight of Stephanie, wearing a pretty pink dress. Perfect timing.

"Oh, uh, hey." I pulled Skylar off to the side, where I could still see Stephanie, but where I could speak without being overheard. "Before we start socializing, there are some Normo customs you should learn. You know, so you don't stick out."

"Okay, like what?" Skylar asked.

"Well, ah, as a gesture of friendship, it's typical for Normos to hold hands." I took her hand, knowing that Stephanie could see us. "Gaze into each other's eyes, and to feed each other apple slices." I pulled a bag of apple slices out of my pocket and offered it to her.

She pulled out an apple slice and popped it into my mouth, then continued to do so, feeding me apple slices faster than I could chew. "Check me out!" Skylar laughed, delighted. "I'm fitting in already."

"So Kaz, you made it." Stephanie smiled, walking over to us. She glanced at Skylar, then looked back at me. "Introduce me."

I quickly spit out the apple slices. "Uh, uh, S-Stephanie, this is Connie."

Skylar reached out and held Stephanie's hand, much to the blonde girl's confusion, and looked her straight in the eye, their faces only a couple of inches apart. "Let's be friends!" She said, maybe a little too aggressively.

"O…kay…" Stephanie was clearly a little weirded out.

"Yeah, she's very intense. I like 'em that way." I lied.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Seriously, who is that girl?" Alivia questioned as we walked towards the booths.

"Connie Valentine." I insisted. She looked between me and my sister.

"How did you guys find an actual Connie Valentine to go out with Kaz?" She asked.

"EBay." Dani replied.

"You can't buy people on EBay, Dani." Alivia pointed out. Dani rolled her eyes.

"Sure you can, Liv. You just gotta know where to look." Dani assured her before leaping over the counter of their booth. I walked over to the booth next to it, but instead of a regular display, ours was hidden by a thick red curtain. Gus was bent over a box at the front of the booth, fiddling with the stuff there.

"There is no Gus. There is only…" Gus stood up, revealing that he was dressed in Goth-like clothes, complete with a black wig. "…Gus Angel!"

I crossed my arms, while the two girls looked rather amused at what was going on. "And forget ring toss." Gus continued. "The best way to impress the ladies is with magic!"

Suddenly, a bunny rabbit crawled out of Gus' pant leg. "Aw, bunny!" Dani was a total tomboy, but when it came to animals, she acted like a little girl. She quickly scooped it up, petting its white fur.

"Whoa! I must admit, that was a pretty cool trick!" I exclaimed.

"That wasn't a trick. I have no idea where that came from." Gus told us seriously. Dani looked down at the bunny, frowning, then handed it back to Gus.

"Anyways," Gus released the bunny, "I ordered a magic cabinet from Serbia and I'm going to need you to be my assistant."

"Let's just stick with the ring toss booth." I suggested, not wanting to do anything complicated. I wanted to be able to bail at any moment in case Skylar needed me.

"Fine. Can you hand me the rings?" Gus asked before gesturing at the curtain. "They're right through there."

I walked through the curtains, only to find myself standing in a very strange compartment. I was barely inside when I heard the sound of working gears. The curtains pulled away completely and a metal cage door slid shut behind me, trapping me in the box.

"I can't believe you lied to me!" I exclaimed, angry.

"It wasn't a lie – it was an illusion." Gus insisted. Alivia stood back pretty far from the booth, reading the sign above my head.

"Cabinet of Danger." She read. "This should be…"

"Wicked." Dani grinned. I looked at her.

"You find this funny?" I questioned.

"Remember that time you and Kaz locked me in the shed for three hours?" She countered.

"That was an accident! It wasn't our faults!" I protested. She smirked.

"And I'm not responsible for this either." She replied. "Doesn't mean I'm not going to enjoy it."

"Dani!" We both looked away from each other to see Barry walking over to us. Immediately, I could tell something was wrong; Barry was usually pretty laid back, but he seemed really tense and upset about something.

"Hey." Dani smiled, leaning forward on the counter. "I thought you had practice."

"It got cancelled." Barry replied, a little roughly. "Look, can we talk?"

"Um…" Dani frowned. "I'm working the dart balloon game with Alivia. Why? Is everything alright?"

"Not really, no." Barry said stiffly. "We need to talk, right now."

My sister frowned, then looked at Alivia. "I'll be back." She told her friend before following Barry towards the school.

"What was that about?" Alivia asked, glancing at me. I shrugged helplessly, as confused as she was.

 **Dani's POV**

"Barry!" I called after my boyfriend, but he didn't stop walking, not until we'd gone inside the school, where no one could hear us. "Hey!" I grabbed his arm. "What's going on?"

"Why don't you tell me?" He asked, spinning around. I frowned, not understand.

"I don't know what you're so upset about." I said slowly, trying to think if I'd done or said something that would set him off. He sighed harshly, crossing his arms.

"Coach Hart called and said practice was cancelled because his kid was sick and his wife was out of town on business, so I thought 'hey, wouldn't it be a nice surprise for Dani if I picked her up from work'?"

I gulped nervously. "You went to pick me up?"

"Yeah. I drove to Subway fifteen minutes before your shift was supposed to end. But when I didn't see you there, I went to ask one of the employees if you'd left early. You know what he said?"

"What?" My mouth went dry, because I did know what he said.

"He said that there was no employees named 'Dani' at that establishment, and I had him check, in case he was wrong. Because I honestly thought he was." Barry continued. "I mean, after all, my girlfriend said she worked there, so why wouldn't I believe her?"

"Barry…" I murmured, but he cut me off.

"You lied to me." The accusation rang with truth. "You lied to me, Dani."

"I'm sorry." I whispered, looking up at him and feeling so small. "I'm so sorry, Barry. I-"

"Why?" He questioned, shaking his head in disbelief. "Why would you lie?"

"Because I…I can't tell you. I'm sorry, Barry, but I can't tell you." I pleaded with him to understand why I couldn't. To understand that I hated lying to him in the first place and that I wouldn't have done so if I had another choice.

"Not good enough." He snapped, frustrated. He looked at me and sighed softly. "Dani, I like you. You're fun you're cute and you're cool in your own little way, but…I can't be with someone who isn't honest with me."

"No more lies, I swear." I promised. He shook his head.

"Dani, I need you to tell me the truth. Where were you? Why'd you lie in the first place?" He questioned. When I didn't answer, he sighed. "I'm giving you a chance, Dani. You can either tell me where you've really been going after school, or we're done. It's up to you, but I just can't be in a relationship with someone who keeps that many secrets from me."

I stared at him for a long time, my heart breaking. I really, really liked Barry. I really did. He was…well, he was practically perfect, at least for me. But if I told him about Mighty Med, and Horace found out…well, I imagine that it must be hard for cubes to get dates…

"Barry," I looked at him, making my decision. "I…"

 **Kaz's POV**

Skylar had begun to explore a bit while I chatted with Stephanie, the brown haired girl checking out different types of food and trying to be sociable with the other people at the carnival.

"So, your girlfriend's cute." Stephanie said, looking past me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Skylar trying to force feed another girl apple slices. "Odd, but cute."

"Yeah, she's great." I agreed, reaching out behind me to put my arm around her shoulder.

"That's not her." Stephanie told me. I looked to see that I was holding the same girl as before.

"Stop following me around, Janet!" I exclaimed, pushing away from the girl.

"Anyway, are you and Connie serious?" Stephanie asked.

"Oh yeah. Very, very serious." I lied.

"That's too bad." Stephanie replied, seeming a little disappointed. My eyes widened when I realized why she'd asked that question.

"Oh, no. What I meant was, we're serious in a way that it makes me cool for having a girlfriend, but not in a way that makes it impossible for me to go out with someone else." I told her, hoping I'd guessed her intentions correctly.

She smiled and led me over to a nearby table. "I made this." She told me, holding out a plate of lava cake. "You should try it."

She took a bit of it in a fork and was about to feed me some when Skylar walked over, apparently bored of bothering other people.

"So…I see you guys are becoming friends." She smiled. I forced myself not to get annoyed – it was my fault that she thought feeding others food was a sign of friendship and nothing more. She looked at the plate of food in Stephanie's hands. "What's that?"

"It's lava cake." Stephanie replied, clearly proud of her culinary masterpiece. And of course, Skylar had to have the most absurd reaction to that possible.

"Kaz, don't eat it!" Skylar warned before slapping the piece of cake out of Stephanie's hands.

"What is wrong with you?" Stephanie demanded, offended.

"Me? You just tried to feed him lava!" Skylar snapped. "Do you know what that could do to a person's insides?" Oh my gosh, this was actually happening. I covered my face with my hands, completely humiliated. "I do. I've seen it happen before, at the lava pits of Kelnar after waiting in a very long line."

"It's just cake. What, are you from another planet?" Stephanie questioned.

"Another planet?" I laughed loudly. "Ha! That's a good one. Ha!"

"I'm out of here." Stephanie decided before turning around and stalking away from us. I turned to look at Skylar, exasperated and in disbelief that she could actually do that to me.

"I didn't know. I was just trying to help." She told me, her tone apologetic. I sighed then looked in the direction Stephanie had gone in.

"Stephanie, wait!" I called, racing after her.

 **Oliver's POV**

I watched in disappointment as Kaz ran after Stephanie and away from Skylar. I couldn't hear them exactly, but I didn't need to. It was pretty obvious that Skylar had misunderstood something about Normos because Kaz wasn't properly looking out for her, Stephanie had gotten upset, and Kaz had chosen whose side he was on.

Skylar looked so confused and hurt and upset with herself…I couldn't just let her feel that way when it wasn't her fault. "Gus, I need to get out, right now." I stressed the last bit, hoping he would get the message.

"According to these instructions, this button should open the escape hatch." Gus told me before pressing the button. Instead of opening a door, though, a dozen swords slid into the cage, barely missing me.

"AH!" I screamed, freezing in terror. I got lucky; not a single sword actually hurt me. But it was far too close for comfort.

"Let me see that!" Alivia snatched the instructions away from Gus, then read them over carefully. She raised her head, a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me look on her face. "Gus, these are instructions to build a crib."

"What?" I demanded. She nodded and looked at Gus.

"Well?" She questioned.

"Uh…I guess it's a good thing we don't have a baby in there?" He chuckled nervously.

I looked over at Skylar, who was looking more lost and alone than ever. Kaz, meanwhile, was still chatting with Stephanie, completely oblivious to Skylar.

"I need to help Connie. I need to get out of here." I insisted. "Isn't there an emergency exit in here? Or, on a separate note, a bathroom?"

"I am sure this button will release you." Gus told me before reaching for another button.

"You were sure about the other button, and it released swords." I pointed out. Gus stopped, but I'd already rethought this whole situation. "You know what, who cares? Just push it."

"I don't think that's…" Alivia tried to stop Gus, but he'd already pressed the button. Thankfully, the swords slowly retracted.

"Oh good." For a moment, I thought something was going my way. Then the ceiling began to drop, getting lower and lower, caving me in. "I HATE MAGIC."

Meanwhile, I could see Kaz continuing to try and get Stephanie to go out with him. Meanwhile, Skylar was apparently trying to save Principal Krauss from being pelted with water balloons. I guess she must have missed the sign that said it was okay.

Stephanie, however, was all too happy to point that out to her in what I assumed was a very blunt manner. Though I was too far to hear them, I could see that most of my fellow students were laughing at Skylar.

She ran off, in the direction of the school, clearly upset. I wanted nothing more than to run after her, but I was still trapped inside Gus' magic box.

"I will now close the curtain!" Gus closed the curtains. "And when I say the magic words, something will happen!"

I dropped down low as the top of the box pushed down even faster, leaving me with less and less room.

"The magic words: 'please' and 'thank you'." Gus continued. Suddenly, I fell backwards, having accidently found the exit hatch and fallen out of it. I rolled onto the ground behind the booth, just as Gus shouted, "Behold!"

I heard the curtains open and a bunch of gasps come from the crowd. "He turned into a rabbit?" Gus questioned. Huh, maybe one of the rabbits had climbed in there when I escaped. "I mean, he turned into a rabbit!"

 **Xxx**

It didn't take me long to find Skylar, since she was sitting just inside the school, on the bottom of the stairs in the lobby.

"There you are, Skylar." I sighed in relief when I found her. "Is everything okay?"

"No." She responded, looking up at me with a hurt expression on her face. "You said you'd be there for me, and I just embarrassed myself in front of your entire school."

A wave of guilt washed over me. "I am so sorry." I apologized. "I tried, but I-I was stuck in a box with-with swords and-and rabbits and-and Gus was wearing rhinestones-" I broke off, still wondering why Gus had rhinestones. "It was horrible!"

Skylar got to her feet and put her hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, everything's going to be okay." She told me, soothingly.

"No, it's not!" I protested. "I said I'd have your back, and I didn't. I'm a terrible friend."

"It's alright. You have nothing to worry about." She reassured me. "I'm here for you."

"I was supposed to be here for you. To help you." I insisted, sitting down on the stairs, feeling like a bad friend. We all were. Kaz was, Dani was, and I was. And yeah, I figured that Kaz and Dani wouldn't stick around to help Skylar the whole time (it was just like them, to run off to be with someone they were into) so I'd promised myself that I wouldn't abandon Skylar. Which is exactly what ended up happening.

"But you ARE helping me." Skylar assured me, sitting down next to me.

"How?" I questioned.

"By needing my help." Skylar replied. "That's my purpose in life: to help others. And this is the first time since I lost my powers that I actually felt…useful. Thank you, for being so helpless."

I smiled softly, then she leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Yeah, well, uh…helpless is kinda my thing." I said, trying to be cool. Then it occurred to me just how uncool that was. "Uh, you want to get out of here?" I asked.

"We should go find Kaz and Dani." Skylar said, standing up. I nodded in agreement; I had a couple of things to say to them for just ditching Skylar like that.

 **Kaz's POV**

"I'm so conflicted." I said to Stephanie. "I want to go out with you, but if I do, no other guy will ever live up to me."

"No? Okay, never mind." It didn't seem to bother Stephanie all that much, so I quickly continued.

"But if I don't, I will have to live with knowing that I deprived you of…this." I gestured at myself, smiling charmingly. Stephanie smiled at me, and I decided to this opportunity to steal a little lip action.

I leaned in to kiss her, but before I COULD, Gus interrupted us.

"Do I have some juicy gussup for you?" He exclaimed. "Gussup – that's 'gossip from Gus'."

"Not now, Gus." I told him, annoyed.

"I just say some girl kiss Oliver!" He told me excitedly. I frowned, then turned around, looking for my best friend. He and Skylar were walking side by side, both of them smiling.

"Connie?" I grinned, happy for him. "Way to go, Oliver!"

"Seriously?" Stephanie looked at me incredulously. "What kind of man lets another guy hit on his girlfriend?"

"Uh…" Right. As far at Stephanie knew, Skylar and I were still together. "Uh, not this man. In fact, I'm going to walk over there right now and, uh-"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Gus began to chant, cutting me off. Within seconds, most of the crowd was chanting the same thing, and I knew I was screwed. I sighed and walked over to Oliver.

'There you are. H-h-how could-" He started, but I didn't give him the chance to finish.

"Hey man! What do you think you're doing with her?" I demanded loudly. Oliver frowned, confused.

"What are you talking about?" He asked slowly. I leaned in so I could whisper and not be overhead by anyone but him.

"Stephanie thinks you're hitting on my girlfriend. Just go with it!" I hissed pleadingly before backing up. "Oh, what's that you said?" I called loudly, jumping around him like I was a boxer. "Don't hurt you? Yeah? Ho ho! It's about to get real up in this carnival!"

"Fine. You wanna fight?" Oliver slowly rolled up his sleeves.

"Yeah." I agreed. I expected him to try and hit me, but in a way that it either wouldn't hurt, or I could block it easily. However, I did not expect him to tackle me to the ground and try to rip off my arm.

"Ah! Okay!" I shouted before hissing at him. "Too real! Too real!"

"How could you ditch Skylar?" Oliver hissed back, pulling on my arm. Skylar, appearing behind us, pulled the both of us to our feet, an annoyed look on her face.

"Stop it! You two can't fight!" She snapped. "Seriously, who punches like this?" She mocking showed us how we'd been fighting.

"Oh, I can't believe you need your girlfriend to save you." Stephanie sneered. Skylar stared at her.

"Girlfriend?" The brunette repeated, shocked. I winced; I guess the cat was out of the bag. She looked at me, furious. "You told her I was your girlfriend?"

"So you lied about having a girlfriend?" Stephanie questioned. I didn't even get a chance to respond before she continued. "I-I can't believe I actually considered going out with you, and then eventually dumping you on your birthday. You two weirdos deserve each other."

Alright, enough was enough. "Hey, you know what? Sky-Connie," I corrected myself quickly, "may be a little strange, but at least she's a good person, and a good friend. You're just a shallow, spoiled princess. I mean, I'd still go out with you if you were still interested." I added, as an afterthought. "But, uh, not because of what you are like, because of what you look like!"

Stephanie rolled her eyes and walked away, Gus trailing after her with offers of money and bunnies.

I sighed and turned to Skylar. "Skylar, I'm sorry I lied to you. I never should have used you like that."

"No, you shouldn't have." Oliver agreed.

"So, I'm guessing after today, you want nothing to do with Normos?" I assumed.

"Actually, I'm thinking of going to school here." Skylar surprised me. Oliver's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Really?" He asked, his voice full of hope. Much to his delight, she nodded.

"Yeah. I live for danger and drama, and what's more dangerous and dramatic than high school?" She grinned. "And besides, where else can you go that has a carnival every day?"

With a grin, Skylar practically skipped away, excited to go check out the rest of the carnival. Oliver and I exchanged looks. "Should we tell her it's not like this every day?" I asked.

"Eh, she wants to know what it's like to be a Normo." He reasoned. "Lesson number one: disappointment."

"Oliver!" I heard Alivia's crisp, Irish accent come from behind me and I saw her jogging towards us.

"Hey, Liv." I nodded at her in greeting. "You wouldn't have happened to have Dani, would you?"

"She left." She replied, biting her lip a little. Kaz frowned and glanced at his watch.

"It's only like…nine. And Barry's still here, so why would she leave so early?" He asked, confused. Alivia's face fell a bit.

"I take it you haven't heard." She mentioned softly.

 **Dani's POV**

I sniffled a bit, running my hand through the bunny's hair. I was more than a little upset about what happened with Barry, and all I wanted to do was think about something else, but I couldn't seem to be able to focus on anything else. Especially not with Ollie trying to talk to me about it.

" _Dani, please let me in."_ Judging by where the sound of his voice had come from, he'd gone from standing in front of my door to sitting with his back against it. Which made sense, seeing as he'd been trying to get me to unlock my door for almost twenty minutes now.

"Go away, Ollie." I retorted, stroking the bunny I'd taken from Gus.

" _Please, Dee?"_ I knew that there was no chance in hell that he was going away. As much as I loved my brother and the fact that he was trying to be there for me when he knew I was upset, the last thing I wanted to do was talk about it, or anything at this point.

Suddenly, a strange noise coming from outside caught my attention. I rolled over in my bed to see Kaz crouching on the roof just outside my window, his classic grin on his face. I just gave him an exasperated look, which he ignored. He tapped on the window again, motioning for me to open it.

I sighed and climbed out of bed. I walked over to the window, pushed it open, and looked at him. "Go away."

"No way. I just got the new Call of Duty game, and Kenny's hogging the TV in our room, so I figured I'd play here." He replied, pushing past me into the room. Without waiting for a reply, he headed straight to my TV and pulled a couple of things out of his backpack. He placed the video game case on the ground next to him, then tossed me a box from his bag. "Catch."

I caught the box easily, turning it over in my hands. "Tofo-pops?"

"I figured I'd grab some more for Mighty Med, since you ate the last of them without telling me." He gave me a dirty look before continuing. "Anyway, there was a two for one sale, so I picked up an extra box. Help yourself."

"Kaz, you can't just come in here and play video games whenever you want!" I exclaimed, frustrated. He put his game in the consol, then looked at me.

"Why not? I brought you food, didn't I?" He questioned, plopping down on the bed next to me. He laid down, the game controller in his hands, then he glanced at the bunny. "Where'd you get the rabbit?"

"Gus' pants." I replied absently. Kaz turned around and looked at me, confused and disgusted. "Long story, please don't ask."

"Trust me, I won't." He agreed.

" _Is that Kaz?"_ Oliver called from outside my room.

"He's just leaving." I responded. Kaz chuckled.

"No I'm not." He laughed. I sighed in frustration, then walked over to my door and unlocked it for Ollie.

"Make him leave." I told my brother. Kaz shook his head.

"I'm not leaving until I finish this mission." He declared, getting comfortable and starting up the game. Ollie gave me this helpless look and I sighed, lying down on the bed next to Kaz and playing with the bunny.

"You know you can't keep that, right?" Ollie asked, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"Watch me." I muttered.

"It could have fleas!" Ollie protested. "We have no idea where Gus got it."

"Then I will give the fleas names and feed them too." I glared at my brother, already a little protective of my pet. I'd always wanted an animal, but I'd never really been able to afford keeping one. Now that I worked at Mighty Med, I could.

"I thought you were a cat person, anyway." Kaz mentioned, scowling as his character was once again killed. He restarted, trying again. "Not a bunny person."

"Well, Gus didn't magically make cats appear, did he?" I asked, pouting a little. "No, so therefore, I am keeping the bunny."

"Dang it!" Kaz complained, watching his character die.

"Wow, you are really sucking at this tonight, man." Ollie winced sympathetically.

"Yeah, well I'm not exactly having a great night, am I?" Kaz muttered. "First, I get rejected by Stephanie, then my brother steals my TV from me."

"Kaz, I just got dumped, and I can still do better than that." I commented dryly, swallowing past the lump in my throat. Kaz turned around to face me, holding up the remote.

"You sure about that, princess?" He challenged. I looked at him, snagged a tofo-pop out of the box, took a bite, then grabbed the remote.

"Don't call me 'princess'." I retorted, snatching the remote from him, and focusing on the game.

I quickly advanced through the game, easily beating the levels that Kaz lost on. I wasn't a fool; I knew that Kaz had lost on purpose in order to give me a decent distraction from Barry. And even though it only worked a little bit, I couldn't help but smile.

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? What parts did you like? What parts didn't you like? I want to know your opinions, and constructive criticism is always welcome. Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few updates:**

 **April 25** **th** **– Pranks for Nothing**

 **May 1** **st** **– It's Not The End of the World**

 **May 8** **th** **– Alan's Reign of Terror**

 **Oh, you may have noticed I've skipped Sm'Oliver's Travels. For those of you who haven't read my stuff before, I tend to skip the occasional chapter if I don't feel it's relevant to theme or plot I'm aiming for with the story, if I want to save it for a later date, or if I just can't find a decent link for it online. This time, it's the plot thing, but it's going to happen for a few more future episodes, so I just figured I'd give you a heads up. Anyway, remember to review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	5. Pranks for Nothing

**Kihonne: Alright guys, I'm back. I'm so sorry about the delay – I've just been dealing with a lot of stuff back home, and writing hasn't been my top priority. But things have calmed down a bit, which means that I'm updating again, this time with Pranks for Nothing. This is totally one of my favorite episodes, and certainly a fun one to write. But before we get onto the chapter, here're this week's shoutouts!**

 **Xxx**

 **TheatreChristianManiac: I'm glad you like the story. And yes, Alivia will reappear. I rarely limit OCs like her to one chapter performances.**

 **Icehale: I liked that episode too; it's nice to see a more relatable side to Skylar, instead of just her superhero (or, I supposed, ex-superhero) side. Yeah, Barry and Dani are through, though her friends and brother will definitely be there for her. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Guest: Thanks for the names – I like Tofu the best – though unfortunately, Dani does not get to keep the bunny. Though, I will keep the names in mind for when Dani does get a real pet, rather than one that literally came out of Gus' pants.**

 **Flamecloud23: Those names are adorable, and I would so name it McHops if I was letting Dani keep the bunny for real.**

 **Avaoreo1112: Thanks for understanding about me having to keep quiet. The good thing about writing this story after the series is finished is that I can plan my OCs long in advanced, but the bad thing is that I have to be extra careful not to spoil any plans I have. And hey, I don't take offense to you not liking the Dani/Barry pairing. It was never my intention to keep them together for long – I just wanted Dani to have some dating experience, and an ex-boyfriend to make things complicated for future romantic endeavors. I'm glad you like Dani's love of animals (I wanted her to have a sweeter side, and the fact that Oliver hates pets makes it a little more amusing for me too). I really liked writing the scene where the boys tried to comfort Dani, because I like writing cute scenes like that. Especially ones with siblings involved – I'm having a lot of fun writing Dani and Oliver's brother-sister relationship, since it'll have a bigger influence on the story than Calla and Jaden's. As for my name, there's actually an interesting story behind that. Well, I think it's interesting. A few years ago, I was really into Greek mythology, and one of my favorite Greek goddesses was the snow goddess. I wanted to write a fanfiction about her, but I misspelled her name without realizing it – I kept writing it "Kihonne" when her name was actually "Kihone". I never did finish the story I was working on, but I'd worked quite a bit on it, so the word "Kihonne" was stuck in my head, much like how the name "Calla" is now. So when I went to choose a username, I figured, 'why not use that as my username? No one else is'. And that was how I ended going by Kihonne. And thanks so much for the compliment about my name. Actually, I've always been a little curious – why'd you choose Avaoreo1112? Honestly, just curious. And thanks for not being one of those reviewers who get on my back for not updating on time. I will be doing a Q &A for The Days of Our Lives (only one though, due to the expected length of this story) and I'm expecting that I will post it sometime around the beginning of season 2. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Guest: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, as well as that scene.**

 **GU3ST: Sounds good, but I once again warn you about how much work you're going to have to put into it. I like the title though, and I'd love to know when you start posting chapters.**

 **Guest: It was hard to describe the monster, especially since I'm so used to describing humans and such. I've never really had to describe anything more sci-fi/fantasy than an android. As for Kaz and Skylar, while I do feel like I could have maybe made Kaz a little more afraid, I don't think I was that off with how they were feeling. Kaz is one of those guys who goes with what's happening, and doesn't question it. He was a little freaked, I admit, and I should have shown that more, but he was far from terrified. And Skylar's an alien superhero – she would have seen plenty of things of similar nature, and therefore wouldn't have actually be afraid of him, just a little shocked. But as for I Normo, that was a big mistake on my part. I had started writing one version of the scene, and then changed it at the last minute, but I forgot to take out certain lines. Thank you for pointing that out to me – I will take extra care to double check for things like that in the future. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thanks for the advice.**

 **Guest: I liked that part too. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Power214063: Unfortunately, that's only in the US, not in Canada. I could try and get the American version (there are ways) but my parents don't want me to. But thanks anyway for the tip.**

 **Fan: Things have been crazy back here, and I've been busy.**

 **EpitomeOfAReader: I'm glad you like them, and I promise I'll be back on schedule from now on.**

 **Guest: Honestly, Kani is a pretty good shipping name for them. Thanks so much for the kind words.**

 **Guest: Hey. You should be patient.**

 **Guest: I know. I'm so sorry – things have just been tough back home, and I haven't had much time for writing. Thank you so much for the kind words, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Big fan: Thanks so much. I'm so sorry about the long HIATUS – it wasn't planned, I swear – but here's the update that I hope you'll enjoy.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the story, right?**

 **Dani: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns me, any OCs that you see, and this story.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kaz's POV**

I was standing in one of the hallways at Mighty Med, impatiently waiting for Skylar to arrive.

Oliver and Dani arrived first, the former going through a clipboard, and the latter talking in a low mumble, clearly upset about something.

"Hey." I greeted as they walked up to us.

"Hey." Oliver replied. Dani didn't, so I raised an eyebrow.

"Let me guess – you're mom made you give Gus back his bunny?" I asked, knowingly. She nodded.

"It's not fair." She complained. "I was going to take care of it myself and feed it and everything."

"It had fleas, Dani." Oliver pointed out.

"We could have bathed it." She insisted. Oliver rolled his eyes but didn't argue with her. Ever since she and Barry broke up, he was being careful not to upset her too much, since we both knew she was in a bad mood because of it. I, on the other hand, had a better tactic to cheer her up.

"Hey, check it out." I grinned. "I'm totally about to prank Skylar."

"And you didn't consult us?" Oliver looked at me, offended. Dani nodded.

"We're the prank experts." She agreed. I rolled my eyes. "So, what's the plan?"

"Snakes in a can? Fake vomit? Fake vomit in a can?" Oliver suggested. Dani frowned and looked at him.

"Who puts fake vomit in a can?" She questioned. Oliver smirked, but didn't respond.

"Please, that's amateur stuff." I told them, grinning as Skylar walked down the halls. She smiled at us before heading for the nearby door, but just before she could push it open, a very short, white lady with black hair burst through it, screeching and hissing as if she were possessed.

"Chinese Vengeance Ghost!" I laughed in amusement. Skylar merely glanced at the lady, then peeked down the hall.

"Did anyone lose this nightmare lady? Because I think I found it!" She called. I sighed.

"Skylar, that's a prank." I told her. She nodded before glancing back down the hall.

"Did anyone lose this prank? Because I think I found it!" She shouted. The Chinese Vengeance Ghost gave up at that point, and walked away.

"Skylar, a prank is when you trick someone in a funny way, like putting a whoopee cushion under their chair." Dani explained. Oliver and I both laughed at the idea.

"It's funny because it sounds like a fart!" Oliver laughed.

"On my planet, we don't have time for nonsense like that. Our goal is to help people, not make them look stupid." Skylar insisted.

"But on our planet, looking stupid is pretty popular." Dani insisted. "Besides, making other people look like idiots is fun."

"Yeah," I agreed, "Pranks are literally the first thing we learn to laugh at, starting with…" I covered my face with my hands, then took them away, "Peek a boo!"

To my surprise, Skylar immediately spun around and tried to kick me in the face. I backed up enough to avoid it, but stared at her in confusion. "So that you react to, but the Chinese vengeance ghost, nothing?" I demanded.

"Sorry, but on my planet, this," she demonstrated the same as I did, "is a marriage proposal."

"Then why'd you try to kick my head off?" I questioned.

"That's how we say no." She replied. Oliver, Dani, and I exchanged looks. Okay…

"Oh, by the way, Skylar," Dani looked at her, "You mentioned wanting to go to school at Logan High?" Skylar nodded. "I got some papers you need to fill out at my work station. They're the ones with the pink sticky-note that says 'Connie Valentine' on it."

"Alright, great!" Skylar beamed. "Oh, what classes do you think I should take?"

The girls left us at that point, Dani giving Skylar tips on which classes were the more interesting ones, and which teaches should be avoided at all costs. I glanced at Oliver.

"Alright, who's she more upset about losing? Barry, or the bunny?" I asked.

"Not sure. I figure if we keep her distracted, she'll forget about both of them, or find something new to be upset about." He reasoned. I nodded; the method had worked pretty well in the past.

"No one mentions the words 'Barry', 'boyfriend', or 'bunny' for at least a week." I decided. Oliver nodded.

"Agreed." He replied, then we jogged after the girls.

 **Dani's POV**

Since Skylar didn't know much about pranks, Kaz, Ollie, and I decided that it was high time she learn. So, we set up a little lesson on the values of humiliating others. We'd gone all out to do so, even bringing in a whiteboard full of the equations and graphs relating to our pranks.

"Okay, as the world's foremost expert on practical jokes, I give you a crash course in the ABCs of pranking."

Ollie and I glanced up at the board. "Kaz, you spelled ABCs wrong." I told him. Sure enough, the title on the top of the board was: The ACB's of Pranking.

"A crash course in the ACBs of pranking." Kaz corrected himself.

"Let me do this." Ollie insisted, gently pushing Kaz to the side. "I've been pranking since before either of you were born."

"Oliver, you're only three days older than me." Kaz pointed out. I nodded.

"And only eighteen minutes older than me." I added.

"I know." My brother smirked smugly, glancing at Skylar. "I came out sideways, just to mess with my mother."

"Sadly, that's a true story…I think." I admitted.

"Now," Ollie continued, "the key factors in making a good prank are how it's done-"

"-Who it's pulled on-" Kaz interjected.

"And most importantly, how silly the person ends up looking." I finished.

"Oh, I got it." Skylar nodded, standing up. She looked at Ollie. "So, Oliver, the guy who cuts your hair, he was pulling a prank on you?"

Kaz and I didn't bother to try and hide our chuckles, though my brother didn't look all that amused.

"It looks better after a day or two!" He retorted, hurt.

"Of course it does, Ollie." I patted his shoulder just as Horace walked in.

"Perfect timing for an in-class demonstration." Kaz beamed. He reached into his bag and pulled out a pink whoopee cushion. "Behold, the classic whoopee cushion gag."

He quickly placed the whoopee cushion under the seat cushion, then looked to make sure Horace didn't notice. Luckily, he was too busy checking things off on his clipboard to be bothered with what we were up to.

"Hey Horace." I said loudly, in a falsely cheerful voice. Horace turned to greet me, then caught sight of the white board.

"Are you planning pranks?" He questioned, walking over to us. "This is a hospital, not a prank planning place where pranks are pulled and planned. Please!"

"Hey, maybe you should sit down and tell us why we shouldn't pull pranks." Kaz suggested, though his voice was highly suspicious. However, Horace didn't seem to notice.

He went to sit down, but right before he could, he stood back up again. "Wait, I came here for a reason." He remembered. We all sighed. Dang! "To sit down."

He went to sit down again, then stood back up before he could. "But I don't have time; I'm a very busy man." We sighed again. "Just remember what I said about no pranks. I'm trying to impress a very important superhero." He wandered over to the seat next to the one that was armed with the whoopee cushion. "Which reminded me, I need to make a note."

He sat down in the unarmed chair, and a short, loud fart sound came from his general direction. I wrinkled my nose in disgust, as did the others.

"See Dr. Isaacson about flatulence problem." Horace read out loud as he wrote.

"Well, usually that works a little differently, but you get the idea." Ollie mentioned.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Okay, Skylar," Oliver announced as we walked into the hall, "since Kaz and Dani are clearly rookies at pranking, let the Maestro of Mischief show you how it's done."

 **Xxx**

"Hey, Solar Flare!" Oliver hissed, walking up to the pyrokinetic superhero. She was sitting in a chair opposite of Skylar in the rec room, while Dani and I hung by the exercise equipment, observing. Oliver knelt down besides her, grinning. "Check this out. I'm going to pretend to crack an egg on Skylar's head." He whispered, much to her amusement.

Oliver walked behind Skylar, and pretended to crack an egg on the top of her head. "Why did you crack an egg on my head?" Skylar demanded loudly.

"Terrible acting." Dani muttered from beside me, shaking her head.

"Oh, you just faked it." Skylar continued, feeling her hair for egg yolk. She looked at Solar Flare. "You should see what it feels like."

The superheroine nodded eagerly and Oliver walked back up behind her, subtly slipping a real egg out of her pocket.

"This is going to be messy." I mumbled to Dani, just before Oliver cracked the real egg on Solar Flare's head, the sticky yolk dripping all over her hair.

Solar Flare gasped in disgust, her hands automatically reaching up to her head as Skylar and Oliver laughed. She glared at Oliver furiously, flames rising up from her finger tips. Hell, even the yolk was beginning to burn in her anger.

"Oh, please." Dani stood up, rolling her eyes at her brother. "That was pathetic."

"You think you can do better?" Oliver challenged. She merely smirked in response.

"Give me an hour and access to a printer and Horace's office." She replied.

 **Xxx**

"Hey, it's been an hour." I banged my fist against the door to Horace's office. "Seriously, Dee, Horace will be back any second now."

"I just finished." Dani pushed open the door, smirking proudly. "Don't you just love how I've redecorated?"

I had to admit, when Dani put her mind to something, she really went all out with it. She'd covered the walls and floor of Horace's office with pictures of destroyed and broken bridges. Every square inch of that office was covered in them, even the office supplies. Don't ask me how she managed to get the keys on his key board covered with the pictures, but she did.

"Horace is coming!" Skylar hissed at us. Dani, Oliver, and I bolted from the office, heading down a hall to our left.

"See, I'm not big on sticky messes like the boys, so I stick to a different kind of prank." Dani explained in a hushed whisper as we watched Horace head into his office. The door had barely shut when we heard a horrified, girlish scream come from the room. Dani smirked.

"Screams are equivalent to messes in my opinion, so I think I win, Ollie." She declared, her green eyes glinting.

"Not bad." I admitted. "But let the genius with a capital J show you how it's done."

They all looked at me. "Capital J, really?" Dani questioned. I rolled my eyes – she was always so focused on grammar.

"Oh, sorry." I apologized. "Genius with a lower case J."

Dani stared at me, much to my amusement. Now, time to show them how it's done.

 **Xxx**

I pressed the quarter onto the tiled floor, careful to avoid the superglue I'd spread on the back of it.

"Really? You're going with this?" Dani questioned, raising an eyebrow. I chuckled.

"Wait for it." I told her as the door opened up. One of the more famous superheroes, The Great Defender, walked in. He was an incredibly tall man with black skin, dressed in a black, blue, and purple sleeveless uniform. On his chest was his logo – a deep blue shield with a black line through the middle and a purple curling line on either side of it.

"It's the Great Defender!" Oliver exclaimed, running up to him. We all beamed. "I'm a big fan." Oliver told him. "I love your power to create a defensive shield and make powers rebound off you!"

"I am really good at rebounding." The Great Defender replied, grinning proudly. Then his smile faded. "But there's something off with my Freeze Throws." He raised his hands and a ball of ice, the size of a basketball, formed between them. He turned to throw it into the nearby garbage can, but it missed by about a foot. "I can only make, like, five out of ten."

"Hey." I said loudly, before pointing at the quarter. "What's that?"

"Ooh, it must be my lucky day." The Great Defender beamed, walking over to the quarter. He bent down to pick it up, but struggled with it.

"They weren't kidding when they labeled it 'super glue'." Dani commented. The Great Defender pulled on the quarter again. Even though the quarter itself didn't move, he managed to rip off a part of the floor, and carry it in his hands.

Skylar and I laughed, finding the prank hilarious. "Hey, does anyone know where the 'Caution – No Floor' sign is?" I laughed.

Things got even funnier when the janitor, David, walked over and place a yellow 'Caution – No Floor' sign next to the massive hole.

 **Dani's POV**

"Great prank, Kaz." I commented sarcastically as we walked into Mighty Med's laundry room. The boys were trailing a little behind Skylar and I, carrying the Great Defender's uniform that we now had to wash as punishment for the prank. "Now we have to do laundry."

"Well you pranked Horace and you didn't get in trouble." Kaz protested.

"Yeah, that's because I left a note saying 'Alan was here' to throw him off the scent." I replied. Ollie looked at the suit, frowning.

"Do you wash indestructibles in cold or warm?" He asked, unsure.

"I'll check the tag." Skylar offered, feeling the fabric for the tag. Her eyes widened when she read it.

"Whoa." She looked at us. "He's an XXXXXXXX…small?"

"He's the shortest person on his planet." Kaz explained. "He gets teased all the time."

"Just put it in cold, Ollie." I sighed. "We don't want to accidently shrink it or something."

"Good idea." My brother agreed as he and Kaz shoved the large, or small depending on what planet you were from, suit into the washer. Kaz raised his head to press the start button when he noticed a black dial.

"Hey, this machine has a super spin dial; we'll be done in no time." He let us know before turning the dial all the way to the right. The industrial-sized washer turned on, the blur of the clothing spinning around the washer almost glowing blue.

Then it did start glowing a bit, and the room began to shake. "Kaz, what did you do?" I questioned as we all slowly backed away from the glowing washing machine.

Suddenly, an invisible force threw us into the nearby wall, holding us far off the ground.

"What have you guys done?" The Great Defender demanded, walking into the room wearing a blue Mighty Med issue hospital gown. Despite the whirlwind keeping everything pinned to the walls, he seemed completely unaffected. "The power of the super spin cycle is connected to the Earth's core. Everyone knows that!"

"Well, clearly not everyone!" I snapped.

"Why aren't you affected?" Skylar demanded.

"I've got a lot of traction. Have you seen the size of my feet?" He responded.

Kaz ignored the light-hearted joke. "Okay, what's going to happen?" He questioned.

"We're all doomed!" Now, it was one thing if a normal person was saying that we were doomed, but when a superhero, one of the greatest superheroes in the universe, says that, it's something to freak out about. Which is exactly what we did.

We all screamed until the Great Defender laughed, amused. "I pranked you back, Kaz!" He exclaimed, smirking. We all stared at him. "The super spin cycle didn't do this, I did."

"What do you mean?" Skylar sounded as bewildered as the rest of us.

"I spun the earth on my finger, like this." To prove his point, he spun a basketball around on his finger with ease. "But bigger, because it's the Earth."

We all exchanged looks. "That is awesome!" Kaz was thrilled.

"But the hyper-rotation will rip the Earth apart!" Ollie protested.

"Not as awesome." I corrected Kaz, not doubting my brother for a moment.

"Don't worry." The Great Defender brushed it off. "I'll just spin the Earth in the other direction."

He aimed his hands at the ground, but nothing happened. He tried again, but got the same result. "Oh no, my powers, they aren't working. That's why I'm here in the hospital."

"If you can't stop it, what will happen?" Skylar asked.

"The planet will spin into the sun, destroying the Earth and everything on it." He replied. He narrowed his eyes at Kaz. "That's what you get for pranking me. This is all your fault."

We all turned our heads to look at him harshly. He laughed nervously. "On the bright side, at least there won't be school tomorrow. Or ever."

"I'd rather suffer through a history lesson than be dead, Kaz." Ollie snapped. I didn't exactly disagree with him.

"I can't believe the world's going to end." I muttered. Kaz nodded.

"I know, and I just got these new jeans." Kaz agreed. We all looked at him. "Talk about bad timing, huh?"

Horace suddenly came stumbling into the room, gripping the walls and columns to help propel himself down the hallway. "What's going on?" He demanded.

"Why don't you tell him, Kaz?" I called, glancing at him. He sighed.

"The truth is…" He took a deep breath, then lunged forward, managing to point at The Great Defender briefly before his hand was forced back against the wall. "He did it!"

The Great Defender stared at him, but Kaz didn't care. "The Great Defender made the Earth spin faster and now he can't get it to stop!"

Horace looked at the Great Defender. "They pranked me first!" He protested childishly. "They got my uniform dirty, and the only other uniform they could find that fit me was this!" He ripped open the gown to reveal the white and red 'Rockets' basketball jersey. With that final word, the Great Defender left the room, an annoyed look on his face.

"I warned you kids about pulling pranks." Horace called before pushing himself closer to us. Ollie sighed.

"Why did you have to prank The Great Defender, Kaz?" He questioned, exasperated. "Why couldn't you just admit that I'm better at pulling pranks than you?"

"Uh, what?" I craned my head back to look at him. "Ollie, I think we all know that I'm the Governess of Giggles."

"Governess of Giggles?" Kaz repeated.

"What do you think I should have said? The Sultan of Silliness? The Countess of Comedy?"

"Are you done?" Skylar asked.

"No. Or the Warlord of Wackiness?" I continued. "Now I'm finished."

"What about Princess of Pranks?" Kaz suggested. I raised an eyebrow.

"Do I look like a princess to you?" I questioned.

"Guys!" Skylar snapped, getting us back on track. She looked at Horace. "There's go to be something that we can do!"

"I can activate the hospital's motion stabilizers." Horace exclaimed, managing to hit a button on his wrist watch. Suddenly, the force holding us against the wall disappeared, and we all fell to the ground.

"Ow." I complained, sitting up.

"The Earth is still hurtling towards the sun." Horace reminded us as we got to our feet. "Which means we'll be experiencing unbearable heat, and geysers of steam!"

Moments later, steam burst from between the floor tiles, and the temperature began to rise rapidly. "I'm so torn. I love being right, but I hate being hot."

"We need to think." Ollie turned to us. "If only Skylar still had her ability to turn back time."

"Or her power to control celestial bodies." Kaz added.

"Or her power to alter gravity." I agreed.

"I get it!" Skylar shouted before any of us could continue. "I used to be really cool!"

We all turned our heads away as more hot steam rose from the floor. "Wait, there is one way to save us." Horace realized. He looked at us. "Mighty Med has a small, three person rocket. You could pilot that rocket into space and use its deflector shield to nudge the Earth back into orbit."

Well, that sounded dangerous and likely deadly. Cool. "Why us? Aren't there any superheroes who can do it?" Ollie wasn't so sure about it.

"No, the rocket's controls require the repetitive motions that you three have mastered wasting your lives playing video games!" Horace exclaimed.

"And Mom always said that video games would never help us in real life." I smirked. "Ha!"

There was another burst of steam, this one even hotter than the last. "Okay, Horace, count us in." Kaz told our boss, a serious look on his face.

"Good, but before we launch you into space, there's one very important thing I need to tell you." He warned us. We all looked at him expectantly.

"What is it?" Kaz asked.

"Those pants are not doing you any favors." Horace informed him, shaking his head.

 **Kaz's POV**

After Dani, Oliver and I got changed into space suits (how cool was it that I was wearing a space suit! If we didn't die, we were definitely going to be taking a commerative fake photo in these!), Horace led us into the rec room.

"The launch pad is beneath the training deck. We will lower you into the capsule." He explained. "Oh! One small detail: the impact from the deflector shields will destroy the rocket, so you will have to eject yourselves into space. How many days can a Normo survive without oxygen?"

We stared at him, trying to decide if he was serious. Unfortunately for us, he was. "Zero. Zero days!"

"Forget it! There's no way we're doing that!" I snapped. Dani nodded.

"I'm not dying in space." She decided.

"Oh, well I understand. No problem." Horace replied sarcastically. "The world and everyone on it can get destroyed, but we all really enjoyed your little prank day."

"Dude, not fair." Dani muttered, biting her lip nervously.

"We have to do this." Oliver murmured.

"We are the only hope to save the world." I agreed reluctantly. Dani stared at us.

"If we do this, we're going to die." She reminded us, shaking her head. Oliver looked at her.

"And if we don't, the world's going to end and we're going to die anyway." He pointed.

"We might as well go out with a bang." I reasoned. She raised an eyebrow.

"I don't see how suffocating in space is going out with a bang, but Ollie made a good point." She said, nodding thoughtfully. "Okay. Let's go…save the world, I guess."

"Wait, don't send them!" Skylar pleaded after bursting through the door. "It really should be me going up there!"

Oliver looked at her, smiling with a look of adoration on his face. "Wow, that is so like you, sacrificing yourself to save us."

"The truth is, I really don't trust you guys to do it right." She admitted. I tilted my head, nodding slightly in agreement.

"You can't go. They're already suited up, and we're out of time." Horace told her. "Move out, kids!"

I glanced at Horace, then lead Oliver and Dani over to the side. "Hey, Oliver, Dani, before we go, I have a confession to make."

They both looked at me. "You guys are better at pranks than me. You are the Governess of Giggles and the Sultan of Silliness. But Dee, you're also the nincompoop of nicknames."

"I know." Dani agreed, grimacing slightly. "But, thanks."

"Yeah. Thank you." Oliver nodded. "And listen, if these are our last few moments alive, I'm glad I'm spending them with you guys."

I smiled, touched. "You two are the best friends I could ever have." I said softly. Dani smiled.

"Likewise." She agreed. "I love you guys."

"I love you too." I replied. Oliver smiled.

"Me three." He agreed, pulling the two of us in for a hug, the three of us holding each other tightly.

"And I love all three of you, for letting me witness such a…hilariously sappy moment!" Horace laughed. Suddenly, the lights around the training deck turned back to normal, as if this were an ordinary day.

"What?" Dani frowned, stepping back slightly as we all pulled away from each other.

"What's going on?" I demanded as Horace continued to laugh.

"Sike!" Horace chuckled, grinning. "The Earth's not spinning towards the sun! It was all a fake! There's no rocket, there's no positronic reactor, there's no launch pad under the training deck. Actually, there's a graveyard."

"Th-This was all a prank?" Oliver demanded. We were all staring at Horace, stunned.

"Yep." Skylar smirked at us. "Now that's how you pull a practical joke."

"You were in on this?" Dani questioned skeptically.

"No." Skylar assured her before grinning. "It was all my idea!"

"Seriously?" Dani laughed in amazement. Skylar nodded.

"And the student has become the master." She declared proudly.

"I don't understand. What about all the heat and the quaking? And the centripetal force?" Oliver questioned.

"The Great Defender was in on the whole thing." Horace told us. "He wasn't spinning the Earth on his finger, that would be ridiculous. He was only spinning the hospital on his finger."

"Like this." The Great Defender chose that moment to walk back into the room, now dressed in his uniform. He spun a basketball around on his finger. "But bigger, because it's a hospital."

"And Solar Flare created the heat surge." Skylar added as the pyrokinetic superheroine walked into the room, smirking at us.

"I feel so stupid." I commented.

"Don't." The Great Defender told us. "The danger was fake, but your bravery was not. I commend all of you."

"I don't." Horace interjected. We looked at him, hurt and annoyed. "You should have seen your faces!" He and Skylar both began to mock us, clearly enjoying our humiliation.

"We don't have to stand here and take this." Oliver told them. I nodded.

"No we don't." I agreed.

"C'mon." Dani started walking away, with us following her. Until, the floor suddenly disappeared from under us and we fell into a giant crater in the ground.

"Who moved the 'Caution – No Floor' sign?" I demanded.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Well, that doesn't seem like such a bad place to stop it at. What did you guys think? I love to hear your opinions, even if it's constructive criticism. Oh, and because of the long, unplanned HIATUS, I'm going to give you guys a special treat to make up for it. And you guys get to choose what you get:**

 **1\. A sneak peek at an upcoming original chapter**

 **2\. A sneak peek at the first chapter of Elite Force**

 **3\. The identity of one of our unnamed future "guest stars"**

 **You guys get to vote on it, and I'll be back with the reward next week. Oh, and here's the future schedule for updates:**

 **May 15** **th** **– It's Not The End of the World**

 **May 22** **nd** **– Alan's Reign of Terror**

 **May 29** **th** **– Lockdown**

 **Anyway, I guess I'll see you guys Sunday. Until then, remember to review!**


	6. It's Not The End of The World

**Kihonne: Hey guys, I'm back! First, thanks for all the reviews and votes – your sneak peek is at the bottom of the chapter. This week's chapter is It's Not The End of The World, and I won't waste your time by talking much, so let's move onto shoutouts, shall we?**

 **Xxx**

 **TheatreChristianManiac: Thanks.**

 **Icehale: Well, you certainly like your puns. I think it would have been cool if the Great Defender did do that, but it was funnier that he didn't. Enjoy the chapter, and the sneak peek.**

 **LabGirl2001: Yes, there was another plotline, one that involved Alan and a girl named Jamie, but I usually don't like doing plotlines that don't involve my OCs, unless they have significant relevance to the plot. There will be more of Alan in the future though, as I will be introducing an OC superhero who will spend quite a bit of time in Mighty Med.**

 **Algernon: Wow, I'm impressed. It takes nearly two months just to get some grade 12s to put on a small skit, let along getting 12 years olds to put on a whole play. I'm glad you like Dani so much. I wanted her to be the perfect balance between Kaz's chaos and Oliver's peacefulness. Seems it worked. And I'm glad you especially liked that she was good at extracurricular rather than classes – I needed something to set the two OCs apart, and loving sports and exercise is a big part of Dani's personality. Barry is a little self-centered, but not very much, as you could see from later chapters. And Kani does seem to be the favorite couple – people have taken to them even faster than they did to Challa. Yeah, Dani's a lot smarter than she lets on, which you're going to get to see later on. For her, her bad grades are usually a result of lack of motivation or frustration at the type of learning. And Alivia…she definitely is an interesting character. I wanted her to be distinctly different than the rest of them, simply because I wanted to try new things out with her. Different nationalities, different perspectives, different…well, a lot of things. There's a lot that sets her apart from the rest of my OCs, and it's going to be very fun to continue her along that path I have for her. I can't say whether or not she is Geminus – though you're not the first person to guess this – but you're right in guessing that Alivia will eventually find out about superheroes, if she doesn't know already. You are the first person to ask why she's going to their school, and I'm glad you asked that. There is a reason - it wasn't just a random decision – but you're going to have to wait to figure that one out. Maybe it's a good reason, maybe it's a bad one. As for Barry and Dani, yes they did break up rather early, but I did that for a reason. This won't be the last time we see Barry, I promise. I'm glad you liked this chapter the most; I love the more emotional chapters myself. I like showing the characters in a different light, especially Dani. I like showing her more sensitive, soft side. Yeah, it sucks she didn't get to keep the bunny, but don't worry, she's going to get her own pet eventually. As for Kaz's last name, I just used a last name generator. Usually, I have a last name in mind, or I use the name of the actor, but I couldn't think of a good surname for Kaz and his actor's last name is Perry and I didn't want any confusion with Principal Perry from Lab Rats. Yes, I did hear about the Trials of Apollo and I can't wait to read it. I'm going to buy it once I get my next paycheck. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Guest: Thanks for your vote.**

 **Avaoreo1112: I'm glad you liked the chapter and Dani's prank – honestly, I was a little worried that it would be lame compared to the others. I'm not much of a prankster, or at least not a spontaneous ones. Mine usually require a little more planning. As for the story behind your name, that's actually pretty interesting. I suspected that it had something to do with Oreos (I mean, who doesn't love them, right?), and I do the same thing as you do – I use Kihonne for pretty much everything. You're certainly right about how much work I've been getting at school. I'm in my senior year, so I've got to worry about exams, summative assignments, regular assignments, plus scholarships, bursaries, graduation, and a registering for university. It's an unbelievably crazy time of the year. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Aliqueen16: Thanks so much! Enjoy the chapter.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Alivia: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med, or any of its characters. She only owns Dani, Alivia, Barry, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Oliver's POV**

"Well, Crusher, all of your genetic mutations seem to be in proper disorder." I declared, looking at the superheroes chart. Kaz and I were handling his case, while Dani was busy prescribing something for Mesmira's pink eye.

"Oh, one more thing. Since you're the strongest man in the universe," Kaz pulled a camera still in its packaging out of his pocket, "Can you help me with this? These packages are impossible to open."

He handed the package to the Crusher, who merely grabbed a pair of scissors off a nearby table and cut a slit in the package. He handed it back to Kaz, who scowled in annoyance. "I could have done that."

Skylar suddenly headed over to us, but instead of walking, she did a round off, landing on her feet with complete grace.

"Oh, hey Skylar." After a few of weeks, even we were used to Skylar's gymnastics. She beamed at us, obviously in a good mood.

"I can't wait for my first day of school tomorrow!" She exclaimed. "I just hope it's better than school on my planet."

"How bad can alien school be?" Dani questioned, walking over to us with her clipboard. "Hey, Ollie, can you check these? I don't want to accidently give Mesmira the wrong thing."

"If you're later, the teacher makes you stand in the corner." Skylar told her.

"That doesn't sound that bad." I reasoned.

"'Corner' is our word for 'oven'." She pointed out.

"You'll do fine." Kaz assured her. He brightened up, getting an idea. "Hey, you should join the cheerleaders, because you're all bendy, and flippy, and can invite us to their parties."

I looked at Kaz, then at Skylar. "Could you excuse us?" I asked politely before pulling him off to the side.

"Dude, I don't want Skylar to join the cheerleaders!" I snapped, glaring at him. "She'll start hanging out with jocks, whose muscles are bigger than my face! How can I compete with that?"

"I don't know, get a bigger face?" Kaz deadpanned. I rolled my eyes and walked back over to Skylar and Dani, who were talking about tomorrow.

"Skylar, if I were you, I'd stay away from the cheerleaders." I advised. "I mean, 'two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate?' Clearly not odd numbers."

"Yeah, but who does?" Dani said teasingly. I rolled my eyes, much to her amusement. She turned to Skylar. "But seriously, joining some clubs might be good to help you socialize. Liz's petitioning to start a drama club."

"Sounds fun." Skylar nodded. "How many people are in it?"

"So far, you, me, and Liv." She admitted. "Not many people at our school are big on theatre."

"Whoa, hey." Kaz suddenly grinned, looking past me. I turned to see a tall, very pale skinned man with very long white hair and black sunglasses.

"Who's that?" Skylar questioned, frowning.

"Horace's cousin, Boris Diaz." Kaz replied.

"Also known as Timeline." Dani interrupted. Kaz nodded.

"He's a superhero whose ability to see into the future helps other heroes fight evil." He continued.

"He's also won every fantasy football league he's ever been in." I added.

"Oh, cool." Skylar smiled. "I'm going to go introduce myself."

"You don't have to. He's already seen this conversation happen in the future, so he already knows all of our names." I said.

"Hello, Luigi." Timeline greeted, walking over to us. He nodded at me, then Skylar, then Dani, and finally Kaz. "Paul, Dave, Cinnamon."

"I think there's something wrong with his powers." Kaz commented, looking at him.

"We haven't examined him yet, Kaz. Don't just to conclusions."

"I see danger." Timeline realized. "Step forward, Luigi!"

I stepped forward quickly. "You are safe now." He assured me.

"See?" I smiled, adjusting my lab coat. There was nothing wrong with his powers.

Suddenly, a superhero on a wheelchair came barreling into me from behind, knocking me down.

"Step forward, Cinnamon!" Timeline exclaimed. Kaz did as he was told, only to be hit to the ground when a superhero on a gurney knocked into him.

"You are safe now." Timeline told him. "Dave! Step forward."

Instead of stepping forward, Dani took a big step backwards, narrowly missing the gurney that flew past her.

"You are safe now." Timeline told her, oblivious to the fact that she ignored his instructions.

"You were saying, Ollie?" She questioned, crossing her arms and looking down at me.

 **Dani's POV**

After getting Ollie to double check my prescription, I walked back to Mesmira to give her her medicine. Once I was done with her, I headed back over to the guys, who were already talking with Timeline.

"So, how long have you been having problems with your psychic powers?" Ollie asked, looking at the superhero.

"A few weeks." He admitted. "But I waited to come in until my cousin Horace's day off."

"How come?" I asked, leaning against the edge of his bed.

'We don't get along." He replied. At the look of confusion on my face, he elaborated. "Typical family stuff. He loves bridges; I hate bridges. Enough said!"

"I just thought of something." Ollie said suddenly, turning to Kaz and I. "When the villain, Switchblade, stranded Timeline in the middle of the desert, his powers stopped working. What happens when you're stranded in the desert?"

"Well, first you hide behind a cactus like this." Kaz raised one arm and pointed the other downwards to demonstrate. "And then you get so hungry that you think a tortoise is slowly moving hamburger."

"Or, if you're not a cartoon…" My brother looked at me expectantly.

"Uh…you see a camel?" I suggested. He gave me a look. "Well, I guess you'd get really hot, seeing as it's a desert…"

"Right." Ollie nodded. "Which would make you to sweat a lot, causing you to lose electrolytes."

He grabbed a small, circular device off a nearby table and scanned Timeline with it. It beeped rapidly once he stopped, calculating the results.

"I was right. His sodium levels are way below normal." Ollie stated, looking at the device's screen.

"Nurse, start a 20-mililiter saline drip, stat!" Kaz instructed. The nurse, Terri, nodded and set to work. Kaz grinned. "I love saying 'stat'. I wonder what it means."

"I feel better already." Timeline told Ollie. "Bless you."

My brother smiled. "No need to thank us." He replied.

"No, you're about to sneeze like a tiny kitten, and it's adorable." Timeline said. As if on cue, Ollie let out a tiny sneezing noise.

"Well check in on you later, Boris." I told the superhero before stepping over to the counter to input his information into the system.

"This is great." Kaz grinned.

"How so?" Ollie asked, looking at him as he reached for a tissue.

"Ms. Kessler, the English teacher, does this thing where she randomly calls on kids and puts them on the spot. I wonder if Timeline can tell me when she's going to call on me." Kaz explained.

"Or you could, you know, do your homework." Ollie pointed out.

"And risk learning things but not being called on? That's crazy talk!" Kaz retorted.

"Just be careful, Kaz." I cautioned, looking up. "I've seen enough time travel movies to know that messing with the future only causes problems."

"Yeah, the last thing I need is to somehow end up being my own father." Ollie added. I wrinkled my nose.

"Ew, no." I retorted. Ollie shrugged and walked back over to the Crusher so the hero could sign his release papers, while Kaz headed back over to Timeline to make his request. I turned to talk to Skylar, wanting to discuss her classes, but instead caught the tail end of the SNN news report.

"…Human Blade and Clone Master, along with their sidekicks, saved thirty-two people on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge earlier today after a portion of it collapsed," The news lady's voice over proclaimed, while footage of the heroes was shown on screen. There were couple of blobs, one red and one yellow, near the back of the bridge, cutting open cars to help people out, while multiple dark and light green blobs were leading people to safety.

"Hey, I heard about that. Our newscasters were saying it was blind luck that no one got hurt." I hummed.

"Must have erased the victims' memories." Skylar decided. I nodded, then frowned.

"Hey, how come not every superhero has a sidekick? Clone Master and Human Blade do." I questioned.

"Most of us find them a liability. They're easy to capture, and often distracting." Skylar reasoned. "So, what classes do we have together…"

 **Oliver's POV**

"You look tired." I commented when I found Alivia hanging at our lockers, the next morning. She nodded, clutching her coffee mug tighter.

"Didn't sleep well?" Dani guessed. Alivia shook her head.

"No, Dad made me work out with him yesterday. Guess I'm still wiped." She replied. Jordan walked over to us.

"Hey, you guys haven't seen Gus, have you?" She questioned as I opened my locker to dump my backpack in. We all shook our heads and she grinned. "Thank God. He's been trying to bug me all weekend."

"Hey Oliver, hey Dani!" We heard Skylar exclaimed. We all turned in time to see her do two cartwheels before heading over to us.

"Who's Flippy Longstocking?" Jordan questioned, crossing her arms and leaning against the lockers.

"This is our new friend sky-Connie." Dani corrected herself quickly. "Connie Valentine."

"She is from outer space-state!" I said the last word loudly, trying to cover up my mistake. "Out of state."

"It's nice to meet you, Connie." Alivia held out her hand to shake. Skylar shook it, a confused look on her face.

"We've met." She reminded the red head. Alivia stared at her.

"What?" She questioned.

"On Friday. The carnival?" Skylar said. Alivia's face brightened.

"Oh, right. So sorry. It's just been a crazy few days." She explained sheepishly. "It's uh…good to see you again, Connie?"

"You too." Skylar chuckled. Jordan frowned.

"You look so familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?" She asked. I glanced subconsciously at my open locker door, where there was a picture of Skylar as Skylar Storm hanging.

"Of course now. Where could you possible know her from?" Dani questioned, subtly closing my locker for me. She gave me a pointed look, clearly telling me to get rid of the picture when I got the chance, then turned to Skylar. "So, what'd you have first period?"

"American History." Skylar replied. I looked at her imploringly.

"So how was it? You find everything okay?" I asked, wanting to make sure she was comfortable here. She beamed back at me cheerfully.

"It was great! I met this really cool guy, and he convinced me to join his club!" She told me excitedly. My face fell, disappointed. Who was she talking about? "Oh, here he comes now."

I looked around, expecting to see one of the jocks or something, but instead saw Gus strutting towards us.

"Connie, you've got something on your shoulder…" He mentioned, walking up to her and putting his arm around her. "My arm."

Skylar, Jordan, Dani, and Alivia all started laughing. Skylar because she and Gus were messing around, and the others because they knew that Gus flirting with Skylar was ticking me off.

"Yep." Skylar nodded, that smile still on her face. "He invited me to join the marching band."

"Really?" My voice seemed a little too high, but it was the best I could do to fake that I was happy about this. Skylar opened her backpack – one of Dani's old ones – and pulled out a tambourine. "Is this called a booty? Because he told me I should stand out front and shake mine."

"I did say that, didn't I?" Gus smiled, his arm still around Skylar's shoulder.

"Bye guys." Skylar smiled at us before she and Gus walked away.

"How on Earth does Connie think Gus is cool?" I demanded, looking at my friends.

"I don't know, but this is fantastic!" Jordan exclaimed. "I've wanted to get Gus off my scent for years! Especially at marching band! I've tried disguises, smoke screens, even look-alike Jordan decoys."

"What?" Alivia frowned at her. Jordan nodded at someone behind her.

"There's one now." She said. Sure enough, the girl walking behind us was dressed just like Jordan. Hell, her hair even looked the same. "Looking good, Amanda."

Amanda gave Jordan a thumbs up and continued walking. Alivia watched her go, a strange look in her eyes. "I'm so getting myself one of those."

"You should – they're useful." Jordan suggested. "See ya."

Jordan walked away after that, heading towards her next class. Alivia checked her phone.

"I gotta go." She said regretfully. "My dad's got a meeting with the principal, and I'm supposed to be there."

"Already in trouble? Dang, I thought I was the bad influence." Dani pouted. Alivia chuckled.

"No, it's just some new student thing." She assured us. "And you'll always be the bad influence of the two of us, Dani."

"That's the plan." Dani smiled, watching her go. I sighed.

"I can't believe Skylar thinks Gus is cool." I said again, this time a lot more defeated than angry. Dani smiled sympathetically at me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Relax. Skylar's been at school for less than two hours – she doesn't know what cool is. She'll get over her fascination with Gus and the marching band soon, then come back to us." She reassured me. "Gus won't be the reason you'll never get a date with her."

"Thanks." I smiled at her. She nodded, then began to head off to her next class. Then what she said hit me. "Wait, what do you mean I'll never get a date with her?!"

 **Dani's POV**

"Wait, Gus and S-Connie?" Kaz chuckled. "Oliver must be pissed."

"You can say that again." I agreed just as the classroom door clicked shut.

"Class has begun, no talking." Ms. Kessler announced. "Danica, please turn around to face the front."

"Fine." I sighed, turning around in my seat. Ms. Kessler began to teach, so many of fell back into our regular routines. Kaz pulled out a magazine, while I grabbed my phone and started playing Flappy Bird on my phone. Even Alivia, who got back to class seconds before it started, wasn't paying attention, instead choosing to doodle on a piece of paper.

"Danica!" I jumped, startled. Ms. Kessler was looking down at me expectantly, but I had no idea what she wanted.

"Hi?" I smiled sheepishly, glancing at the clock. Half an hour into class already. Shoot.

"Can you name two of Charles Dickens' books?" She questioned, sounding annoyed.

"Uh…" Ollie was right – I should probably pay attention in class. "Tom Sawyer and Tale of Two Cities?" I guessed, naming the first two books I could think of.

"Tom Sawyer was written by Mark Twain." She deadpanned. I looked at her.

"Wait, I was right about the Tale of Two Cities thing?" I questioned before grinning. "Cool!"

Suck it Ollie. I don't need to pay attention.

"Phone." She held out her hand and I handed it over, sighing. "You can have this back when class is over."

"Yes miss." I slouched over in my seat, annoyed at having to actually listen to her.

"In the world of Dickens," she continued her less, pacing the classroom, "children's lives were dark and miserable…otherwise known as the good old days."

"Let's re-create those conditions with a pop oral quiz," she started back towards my corner of the classroom, but I knew that she was looking for Kaz, not me. "Kaz!"

He didn't look up, even as she continued to speak. "Finish this quote. 'It was the be-'"

"'It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.'" He said, putting down the magazines and removing his headphones, "'It was the age of wisdom; it was the age of foolishness. It was epoch of belief; it was the epoch of incredulity. It was the season of light; it was the season of darkness.' Kind of a run on sentence, if you ask me."

Everyone in the class, Liv and I included, was staring at Kaz, stunned. Wow, I guess Timeline must have agreed to help him out. Damn…I wish I'd gone to the hero.

Ms. Kessler cleared her throat. "That was shockingly correct, Kaz." She admitted reluctantly. "Now, when was-"

"Charles Dickens was born on February 7th, 1812 in Portsmouth, England, which is situated 64 miles southwest of London, or 103 kilometers, for you fans of the metric system." He answered smugly, not giving her a chance to finish her question.

Ms. Kessler's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. She wasn't used to Kaz answering questions in general, and didn't like the fact that he was actually getting all of hers right. "All right. What character still wears a faded wedding dress after being left-"

"Ms. Havisham from _Great Expectations._ " Kaz replied. "Oh, and, uh, speaking of wedding dresses, you might not want to spend too much on yours, because your fiancé, Bruce, will be breaking off the engagement tonight."

"Kaz!" Alivia hissed, trying to warn him not to push things too far. He ignored her.

"It's all for the best though, because on Tuesday, he gets arrested for identity theft. So you might want to cancel your credit cards." With that, he put his headphone back in and resumed blasting the music.

Ms. Kessler glared at him for a moment, then stalked back to her desk and assigned us some quiet work to do. I guess she didn't feel much like teaching after Kaz embarrassed her like that.

 **Oliver's POV**

I walked into the gym, looking around. The marching band was supposed to meet here during lunch to practice for the upcoming basketball game. "Hello Oliver." Alivia beamed at me, skipping over to me. I looked at her, surprised.

"You're part of band?" I questioned. She nodded and held up her saxophone.

"I like music." She replied. "And since there's no music program here, marching band is the next best thing."

"Huh." I hummed, looking around her. "Hey, you haven't seen Connie, have you?"

"Uh, yeah." She nodded before turning around and pointing towards the back of the group of students. "She's right back there, with Gus."

Sure enough, she and Gus were chatting happily, the shorter boy holding a long, brass trombone.

"How could Connie possibly like Gus?!" I demanded.

"Maybe she finds his weirdness interesting?" The red head shrugged.

"Hey guys." Jordan walked up to us. She looked at Alivia, surprise. "Hey, weren't you just in my English class? How'd you get here before me?"

"I took your advice on getting a fake me. Except, instead of avoiding people, I'm avoiding class." Alivia smirked. Jordan nodded appreciatively.

"Well done, grasshopper. I never would have guessed that it wasn't you. Who was it?" She questioned.

"Abigail." Alivia replied. Jordan nodded.

"Huh. Good idea." She replied. "Oh, by the way, Dani was looking for you, Oliver."

"She probably wants to me to go over her homework or something. I'll catch up with her later." My sister often had me double check her work. Jordan shrugged.

"I'm going to bail. Amanda left early, so there's no one to distract Gus." She told us before quickly slipping out of the room. Gus and Skylar walked over to us, smiling.

"Guys," Skylar giggled, "look what Gus can do."

Gus picked up his instrument, but instead of blowing air into it through his mouth like a normal person, he blew it through his nose. Skylar laughed when he did, clearly amused.

"What can I say? Chicks dig the nose trombone." He told me. Skylar nodded.

"We do." She agreed.

"Not all of us." Alivia mentioned.

"Marching band is the best." Skylar grinned at me cheerfully. I glanced at her, suddenly getting an idea.

"It sure looks like it." I agreed. "Which is why I, too, would like to join."

"You want to be in the band?" Alivia questioned skeptically. I nodded.

"Sign me up." I insisted. Gus considered it.

"Do you play the oboe?" He asked. I scoffed.

"Yes. I am a great oboer." I lied. Wait, was that the right word? "Oboebian? Oboe-baggins?" Deciding that it didn't matter, I turned back to Gus. "I play the oboe."

"Well, we have pretty high standards in the M.B." Gus warned. "Let me see you march."

I turned to the side and began to march in place, but it wasn't good enough for Gus. "Double time." He ordered. I began to march faster. "Triple time! And knees up!" I was running on the spot now, making my knees go as high as I could. "Now spin!"

I spun around while still running/marching. "Faster!" Gus shouted. "Like a dreidel!"

I stopped, staring at him. "It's a spinning top. Popular on the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah." He explained, before motioning for me to continue. I started spinning/running/marching in place until he shouted, "Now drop into a split!"

I fell, one leg going forwards and the other going backwards. I'm not going to lie – it hurt…a lot. "Not bad. You show real promise." Gus, at least, sounded impressed. "Unfortunately, we don't have any oboes in marching band."

He walked away as I climbed to my feet. Alivia sighed.

"I could have told you that before you did the splits." She mentioned before becoming distracted. "Oh, um. I gotta go. I wanted to talk to Norrie before practice starts."

She disappeared without another word, jogging after the dark haired girl. Skylar turned to look at me.

"Oliver, it's probably that you're not in the band." She told me. "Nothing personal, but I want to carve my own path here. I don't wanna just be 'Oliver's friend'."

I bit back a dark chuckle. "Believe me, I don't want you to 'just be Oliver's friend' either." I replied bitterly.

"Hey Connie!" Gus shouted suddenly. We both looked to where he was standing at the other side of the gym, still carrying his trombone. "If you thought nose trombone was cool, check this out." He lowered the end of the trombone so it was just under his butt, and played it.

Skylar laughed while I looked on in disgust. "Isn't he the coolest?" She exclaimed before heading over to him.

 **Dani's POV**

"It's so not fair. She had no right to give me detention!" Kaz exclaimed, annoyed.

"You told her that her fiancé was going to leave her and steal her money. I think you deserved it, Kaz." I commented as we walked through the halls. He scowled. "Hey, on the bright side, you got an A on a pop quiz. When's the last time that happened?"

"Never." He admitted, grinning as we walked into the rec room. Timeline was sitting on the couch, eating Chinese food. There was a card on the table, a few colorful balloons attached. "Hey Timeline. Thanks for telling me the future. I totally aced my pop quiz."

"Well, it's almost the least I could do. I tried to do less, but you wouldn't let me." He replied coolly.

"Hey, since you told Kaz the future, could you tell me mine?" I inquired, smiling at him the way I usually did when I wanted something from someone. "Maybe what I'm getting for Christmas so I know whether to be good or not?"

"Here's something you might find interesting." Timeline told me, getting up. "In fifteen minutes, your brother, Oliver, will be in mortal danger."

Kaz and I stared at him. "What? That's terrible!" I exclaimed.

"Well, you won't have to grieve for long." The hero assured us.

"Oh, why not?" Kaz questioned.

"Because in sixteen minutes, the apocalypse will be upon us." Timeline continued.

"I really hope you're talking about the X-Men character." I groaned, knowing he probably wasn't.

"No. Life as we know will cease to exist." Timeline told us. He gasped suddenly, seeing more of the future. "And it's all your fault for making me tell you about that pop quiz." He pointed at Kaz.

"You said it wouldn't be the end of the world!" Kaz accused, upset.

"So I was wrong; it's not the end of the world." He shrugged.

"Technically, it is." I pointed out. "Seriously dude, you gotta stop using that expression. You clearly don't know what it means. The world is literally ending!"

Timeline suddenly screamed. "Thank you for finally understanding how serious this is." I grumbled.

"It's deadly serious," Timeline agreed, "but that's not why I screamed."

I was about to ask why he did scream, but was startled when the balloons behind me suddenly pop. "Ah!" Kaz and I both jumped, having forgotten they were in the room.

"See, that's why I screamed." Timeline told us. Kaz looked at the balloons, shook his head, then turned to Timeline.

"Wait, what do you mean the apocalypse will come in sixteen minutes?" Kaz demanded. "How?"

"Crimson Demon is preparing to launch an all-out assault on humanity. And it's fifteen minutes now." Timeline explained. We both frowned at him. No, that didn't make sense.

"Crimson Demon? The evil emperor of fire?" Kaz questioned. "But he's not powerful enough."

"Computer, show me Crimson Demon." I instructed, walking over to the training pad.

"Showing 'Clemson Dragon'." A picture of a dragon appeared on the screen.

"Let me try." Kaz told me. "No, Crimson Demon."

"Showing 'Scrimmridge Demlon'." The computer responded.

"Those aren't even words! Why would it think I said that?" Kaz exclaimed in frustration.

"You just need to enunciate." Timeline explained. He cleared his throat. "Crim-son de-mon."

"Showing 'Crimson Demon'." The computer finally said, a picture of the villain appearing on the screen, right next to his stats and information.

"See? Kaz was right." I pointed at three pictures sitting beside the one of Crimson Demon. "Crimson Demon can't attack without his three brothers: Blue Demon, White Demon, and Matt Demon." Timeline looked at me, so I sighed. "He's the cute one."

"Not really." Kaz told me. "Anyway, in Tecton issue 45, Tecton trapped the brothers in the lower dimension."

"Well they're about to escape." Timeline informed us.

"How?" I demanded. "The portal can't be opened unless three conditions are met."

"First, 'the fool becomes the wise man', second 'night falls during the day', and third, 'the chord of discord is struck'." Kaz remembered.

"And you fulfilled the first condition when you got a perfect score on your pop quiz." Timeline pointed out. Realization crossed Kaz's face.

"'The fool becomes the wise man'." He quoted. He glanced at me. "I can't argue with that."

"And because the first condition was triggered at your school, that is where the first rip in the portal will open." Timeline informed us. "The other two conditions will soon follow."

"This is a nightmare." I murmured.

"We have to save Oliver and avoid apocalyptic doom." Kaz insisted, beginning to race out of the room. He stopped when the computer once again spoke up.

"Showing 'coconut spittoon'." It announced.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, if the world doesn't end, we are so fixing that." I muttered, pushing past Kaz and Timeline on my way out the door.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Jordan!" I exclaimed, catching sight of the girl, standing by her locker, dressed in her marching band uniform. I'd been hoping to find Alivia, since she was more likely to help, but Jordan was the first person I spotted. "Hey, Jordan, I know how much you hate doing things for others."

"Ah, it's the worst." She agreed, disgusted by the very thought.

"But I was hoping you could maybe help me keep Gus away from Connie?" I continued hopefully before adding. "For her own good."

"Uh, no thanks. I'm staying far, far away from that little freak. Gus, I mean." She added, not wanting me to think she meant Connie. She walked away as Alivia walked down the hallway.

"Liv, thank goodness!" I exclaimed, jogging over to her.

"What, is everything alright?" She questioned, looking at me in concern. I nodded.

"Yeah, I just need a favor." I replied. She nodded. "I need you to help me keep Gus away from Connie. I'd do it myself, but I'm not in marching band."

Alivia looked at me skeptically for a moment, then smiled. "Wait a minute. I know what this is about. You have a crush on Connie." She teased.

"What? No!" I scoffed.

"Yes you do." She laughed. "Look at your nostrils. Every time you lie, they flare."

"Come on, boys! What are you doing to me?" I demanded, glaring at my nose.

"I'd like to help you, Oliver." The Irish girl told me. "But I can't keep an eye on her at all times."

"Just when you see them alone together…" I began.

"Go bother them?" She guessed. I nodded slowly. "Very well, but like I said, I can't be solely focused on them all the time."

"I know. Thank you." I smiled at her. She began to walk back into the gym, waving at me as she left.

Unfortunately, Alivia was right. She couldn't keep an eye on them at all times. So, I needed a way in there. But how?

One of the eleventh graders at the school walked past me, dressed in the school mascot's uniform – a knight in shining armor – heading to his locker, and I suddenly had an idea. "Hey! Philip! Wait up!" I called, running after him.

 **Dani's POV**

Kaz and I raced to the school, but were forced to wait outside while Timeline found himself a Normo disguise. After pacing around for a few more seconds, I sighed impatiently.

"What time is it?" I asked, glancing at Kaz. He was about to answer when he suddenly saw someone behind me.

"I know you had to find a disguise, but why did you pick that?" He questioned. I turned around to see Timeline walking towards us in a bright, white suit. "The world's ending in five minutes. You want me to get buried in a trench coat?"

"Screw this. I'm going to go find Ollie." I told Kaz before starting towards the door. 'd just opened the front door when Timeline called me back.

"Wait! I'm getting a vision!" He exclaimed, stopping me. "The next condition is about to be met. 'Night falls during the daytime'."

I released the door handle, letting the door close with a clang, and walked back over to him and Kaz. Kaz was looking at the sky, confused.

"I don't get it. It's totally bright outside." Kaz mumbled, shaking his head.

"Would you wait one second? Kids today; they have no attention span." Timeline grumbled before putting his hands on me and Kaz's heads. "Look."

A weird, mist-like cloud appeared before my eyes, the mist creating what seemed like a live feed of the gymnasium. The marching band was in the middle of rehearsal, their music blaring. Skylar and Gus were right at the front of the group, Skylar with a baton in his hands and Gus playing his trombone.

Just as they appeared to be in the middle of their performance, the school's mascot – a knight – stepped between the two, dancing. Both Skylar and Gus looked confused as to what he was doing, but played on. Then, the knight, likely not accustomed to the uniform, tripped and fell.

Suddenly, it made sense. The knight fell, during the daytime. "Oh, the knight in shining armor falls." Kaz said aloud. "I did not see that coming."

"Yeah, words that sound the same but are spelt different are tricky for us future-seers." Timeline admitted. "So is the weather. No one can predict it. No one."

"C'mon." Kaz grabbed me by the hand and led me into the school, Timeline following shortly behind us.

 **Oliver's POV**

Skylar, Alivia, and Jordan dragged me out of the middle of the gym, not giving me the chance to try and get up. I hadn't meant to trip – but the shoes were bigger than I'd expected, and I wasn't used to them.

"Philip, are you okay?" Skylar asked gently. I pushed myself up, accidently knocking my helmet off. "Oliver? What are you doing in there?"

"Um…" I panicked, trying to think of a reason that didn't make me sound like a stalker.

"I told you I wanted to do my own thing, and then you dress up so you can follow me around?" Skylar didn't give me the chance to explain myself.

"Yeah, dude, you're making this weird." Gus agreed, coming up behind me. "Now if you'll excuse us, I have a nose trombone solo."

He led Skylar away then. Alivia gave me a sympathetic look, but followed them back into the marching band's sequence.

"I normally don't like to help," Jordan came up to me, "but yeah, this is for everyone's benefit." She pulled an air freshener out from her pocket and hung it around my ear. She wasn't wrong about it helping – I didn't know when this suit was last washed, but I did know that there was a more than likely chance that Philip went to the washroom in it, judging by the smell.

"Ollie!" I turned around to see Dani, Kaz, and Timeline – who was dressed in a white suit for no apparent reason – running towards. "You're not dead yet." My sister sighed in relief. "Awesome."

"Thanks?" I frowned, confused. "What are you guys doing here? And why is Timeline dressed like that?"

"The world's about to end!" Kaz exclaimed. I stared at them, thinking it was a joke at first. But when neither of them cracked a smile, I realized they were serious.

"What?" I demanded. Dani turned me around and pointed at a red demon mascot.

"Crimson Demon's in that mascot costume." She told me. I looked at her.

"You sure?" I questioned skeptically. She nodded.

"I saw his mask fall off; I'm sure." She replied.

"Crimson Demon?" Skylar hissed, running back over to us.

"He's trying to open the portal to the lower dimension to release his demon brothers." Kaz explained quickly.

"We have to call in some superheroes for help!" I exclaimed.

"There's no time." Timeline told us gravely. Just then, Gus played a very loud, discordant sound with his trombone.

"And there's the chord of discord." Dani sighed. Before anyone else could say anything, an orange, fiery hole appeared just above the bleachers, growing bigger every second. The devil mascot disappeared in a burst of flames, revealing that it was indeed Crimson Demon underneath the mask.

The demon was tall, and his skin was colored blood red. He wore a black and grey-ish vest, with black gloves and pants. There was a staff in his hand, the same color as his clothing, a small ball of fire burning away at the top of it.

"The portal's opening!" Skylar exclaimed.

"We have to do something." Kaz insisted.

"I have a theory." I looked at Timeline. "Maybe if you envision the future, while simultaneously recalling the past, you can temporarily freeze the future."

"That makes no sense." Dani stated.

"Do you have a better idea?" I demanded. She hesitated.

"Never mind. Carry on." She told me, backing off.

"It might work…Or it might tear a hole in the universe." Timeline reasoned. "But if that happens, it's not the end of the world."

"It is! Stop saying that!" Dani exclaimed, apparently having had enough of that expression.

"Uh, guys?" Alivia walked over to us, staring at the hole. "What is-?"

Timeline didn't wait for her to finish talking before he tested out my theory. Suddenly, everyone in the gym froze, except me, Skylar, Kaz, Dani, Timeline and Crimson Demon.

"Why didn't we freeze?" Skylar questioned, confused. "Or him?" She added, looking at Crimson Demon. He was glaring at us, his teeth bared.

"You're criticizing me?" I questioned. "I just invented a way to freeze time!"

"I can't hold this for long!" Timeline exclaimed, reminding me of the situation.

"You can predict the future." Kaz said, turning to face him. "Tell us what to do."

"Well, for starters, I suggest we all take one big step backward." He decided. We all stepped back – Dani pulling Alivia with her so that the red-head wouldn't be caught in any of the crossfire. We moved just in time too, narrowly avoiding being killed by the fireball Crimson Demon threw our way.

The demon jumped towards us, landing a step in front of us. "Kaz duck!" Timeline shouted. Kaz did as he was told, dodging a blow to the chest.

"Oliver, punch him!" Timeline exclaimed. I slugged him as hard as I could, sending Crimson Demon back a few steps.

"Everybody jump!" We didn't need to be told twice. We leapt into the air, jumping right above the line of fire that Crimson Demon shot at our feet.

"Dani-" She didn't give Timeline the chance to say anything, already knowing what she should do. She spun around on one leg, using the other to kick him in the face. The strength of the hit knocked him back into the wall.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Skylar demanded, impressed.

"Mom made me take ballet until I was eight. I hated it, but I guess all that training left an imprint on my muscle memory." Dani shrugged. Skylar nodded, then looked at Crimson Demon.

"Alright, my turn." She decided. We all backed out of her way, knowing that when Skylar wanted to do something, it was better to just let her do it.

She unlatched her marching band hat, dropping it to the floor. She did a backwards cartwheel, avoiding a blast of fire from Crimson Demon's staff, who then charged at her. She waited until he was close enough, then kicked his staff out of the way. She ducked to avoid it when he tried to swing it at her again, and landed a harsh kick to his chest a moment after. He backed off a bit, but she followed, doing a handless cartwheel.

"Skylar! Kick him between the shoulder blades! It's his weak spot!" I shouted.

"It's where his demon parts are." Kaz explained.

She dodged another one of his blows, then punched him hard in the shoulder before spinning around to get behind him.

"Ollie." Dani ran up to me, holding a large marching band-issue drum that she must have stolen from Kirstie. She held it up and I took the other end, grinning when I figured out what her plan was.

"Skylar!" I shouted, hoping that she'd understand the plan without needing an explanation.

She got behind Crimson Demon and, after flipping off the wall, she kicked him as hard as she could in the back. It send him running straight into our drum, trapping his arms.

Kaz grinning, kicking him in the butt and pushing him towards the portal. Between Kaz's kick and the strength of the gravity from the lower dimension pulled him in, the portal disappearing behind him. He was trapped.

Timeline dropped his hands, time resuming. Jordan glared at Gus for blowing his trombone in her ear. Kirstie looked confused as to why she was no longer holding a drum. And Alivia continue talking as if nothing had ever happened.

"-that thing…what?" The red head looked around, confused. "I, uh…"

"What's up, Liv?" Dani asked. She looked around in confusion.

"I…" She looked at us, then at Timeline, then sighed. "Never mind."

She walked back over to the main part of the marching band, and we all grinned at each other. "We did it." Kaz exclaimed.

"I knew all along that you would." Timeline admitted.

"Then why didn't you just tell us that?" Kaz questioned.

"I didn't want to spoil the ending for you." Timeline responded. Kaz and Dani both looked at him annoyed.

"Seriously?" My sister demanded. He smirked. "You suck, dude."

She and Kaz left, Timeline following them out. I sighed and looked at Skylar. "Look, Skylar, I'm sorry for trying to horn in on your territory. I just-"

"I know exactly why you did it." She snapped, frustrated. I froze.

"You do?" Damn, did Alivia say something to her? Or Dani? She nodded.

"It's so obvious. You are totally, one hundred percent…convinced that I can't take care of myself in the Normo world." She exclaimed.

"Yes. Yes, that's exactly why." I lied, covering my nose so she couldn't see my nostrils flare.

"Look, Oliver," Skylar sighed, "I know you're just looking out for me, but I'll be fine."

"Okay." I nodded, before frowning. "But I have to ask, why would you ever want to go out with Gus?"

"I don't want to go out with him." She seemed genuinely confused by why I would think that. "I've just been a little homesick lately, and he reminds me of a dorenbosch."

"A what?" I demanded. She pulled her phone out of her boot.

"The pets we have on my planet." She explained, showing me a picture. I had to admit, if you took away the pointy ears and horns, it would look exactly like Gus.

"Wow. The resemblance is uncanny." I nodded. "And disturbing."

"Look at him. He's so cute." Skylar cooed as Gus walked back over to us. "I just wish he had a little tail."

"I do. Wanna see it?" Gus asked. "I keep it in my wallet."

He walked away with his arm around Skylar's shoulder, but for the first time that day, I didn't feel jealous of their bond.

 **xxx**

"Thank you for your help." Timeline told me. We were back at Mighty Med, standing in the rec room. Kaz was off helping another patient and Dani was doing some busy work that Horace wanted done before he got back from his vacation. "And tell my cousin Horace that I don't forgive him for being late to the family reunion."

"Oh, when was it?" I asked, curious.

"It's next month." He replied. He started to walk away.

"Before you go…" I stopped him. "Look, I know I probably shouldn't ask but is there any chance you can tell me what's going to happen between me and Skylar?"

"I see her falling for you in a big way." He predicted. My eyes lit up and I couldn't help the smile that came to my face.

"Really? That's amazing! Thank you!" I exclaimed. I started towards the door, intending on finding Skylar, but as it turns out, she found me first.

She was cartwheeling into the room and I guess she hadn't expected anyone to be there, because she cartwheeled straight into me, falling on top of me as we both fell. "Ow." I complained as she rolled off of me, stopping when she lying on her back, her head lying on my arm.

"Sorry, I meant falling on you in a big way." Timeline corrected himself.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Alright, let me know what you guys thought? Good, bad? Somewhere in between? I want to hear from you guys!**

 **By the way, I promised you guys a special reward for your patience during the unexpected HIATUS. The vote resulted in a unanimous decision to see a sneak peek at my upcoming Elite Force story. So, here a scene from the first chapter of The Power of Seven.**

 **Xxx**

 **Calla's POV**

"Hey, why don't we go out onto the terrace?" Mr. Davenport questioned. "I want to show you something."

He led us out onto the terrace. It was nicely decorated, with an abundance of chairs, as well as a cool telescope right by the edge. A large holographic shield was floating in the middle of the terrace. It was actually a pretty cool design – a black shield with a light blue border and the letters EF, shaped like an inverted pyramid, in the middle of it. "This holographic emblem represents your new team, or as I like to call it, an Elite Force."

"Cool. When do we get to meet the others?" I inquired, eager to see who was supposed to be part of this Elite Force. It had to be someone powerful, right? I mean, with Chase and Bree's bionics, and my arsenal of weapons, it would take some serious firepower to match up with us.

"Right now." Mr. Davenport replied, swiping his hand through the holographic shield. The shield spun around before bursting into a bright light. When the light died away, it revealed four people standing behind the shield, obviously posed to look cooler.

I recognized all of them; the twins, Oliver and Dani Short, Kaz Broadman, and Skylar Storm. Oliver, Dani, and Kaz were doctors at Mighty Med, and Skylar was a friend of theirs/superhero. Or, retired superhero, if I remembered correctly. We'd met Oliver, Kaz, and Skylar a few months ago after a trip to Mighty Med, and Dani not too long after that.

"I used the 3D hologram wall!" Mr. Davenport exclaimed, smirking. "Kaz, Skylar, Dani, and Oliver have been standing there the whole time."

"Five hours, to be exact." Oliver added, looking a little annoyed.

"Let's not forget the two hours we spent rehearsing how to stand." Skylar added, more than a little annoyed. Mr. Davenport looked at her.

"Obviously we needed three hours, because you're still not doing it right." He told her, correcting her posture.

"It's great to see you guys." Chase greeted, waving a bit before leaning in closer to Mr. Davenport. "What are they doing here?"

The four teenagers exchanged grim looks. "Mighty Med Hospital was destroyed." Skylar told us seriously. That caught us all off guard.

"What?" I demanded, staring at them. Kaz pulled out his phone and walked over to us.

"This is all that's left of it." He told us, showing us a picture on his phone. The entire hospital had been reduced to rubble, barely a part of the structure still standing. I'd have thought it were part of a junk yard, if I didn't know better. In fact, I would never have been able to guess that it had been the Mighty Med Hospital if it were not for the half-burnt logo that was hanging on to one of the only walls still standing.

"My God…" Bree murmured, as shocked as the rest of us. "Who would do something like that?"

"We don't know." Kaz admitted, looking back at his friends. "We lost a lot of superheroes that we cared about, and we're not going to stop until we find who's responsible."

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Alright, since that's a good place to stop. Anything further might spoil some plans I have, and it makes a good, dramatic ending. So what did you guys think? Are you pumped for the new series? Honestly, I can't wait to write it – I've already gotten the first three chapters of the story written up and ready to go. Anyway, I want to hear what you guys thought of the chapter, the sneak peek, or both. I love reviews, and it would be awesome to hear what you guys think. Oh, and here's the schedule for the next few weeks:**

 **May 23 – Alan's Reign of Terror**

 **May 29 – Lockdown**

 **June 5 – So You Think You Can Be a Sidekick**

 **Yes, I know next week's update is going to be a day later than usual, but I'm not going to have any access to internet until Monday evening, if I'm lucky, so it's the best I can do. So, I guess I'll see you all then.**


	7. Alan's Reign of Terror

**Kihonne: SURPRISE! Since I'm leaving for a family vacation in about half an hour, I figured I'd surprise you all with an early update, so I'd come home to a bunch of reviews. So anyway, this chapter is Alan's Reign of Terror. Not a bad episode, though not one of my favorites. Still, I get to have a little fun with Alan's character, who admittedly hasn't been in many chapters. It's not that I think he's a bad character – just because I don't necessary like him, doesn't mean his character is poorly written or uninteresting – it's just he hasn't really done anything yet to move the plot along, so I've been excluding him. But not this time! Anyway, it's almost time for the chapter, but first: shoutouts!**

 **Xxx**

 **LabGirl2001: I'm glad you enjoyed it, especially the funny parts. And yeah, maybe I could have made the sneak peek a little longer, but if you remember from the episode, the next scene involves Kaz and Oliver talking about their powers, and I don't want to reveal what Dani's abilities will be yet. As for Alivia…well, you could be right.**

 **Algernon: No problem. I also liked this episode because of how much we got to see of Skylar – we haven't seen too many scenes completely focused on her, so it's a good episode to get a view of her personality. As for why some froze and some didn't, I actually have a theory about that. In the episode, the only people who didn't freeze were Kaz, Oliver, Skylar, Timeline, and Crimson Demon. They're also the only people in the room who would ever have powers. Skylar had abilities in the past (and in the future), Timeline and Crimson Demon had abilities in the present, and Kaz and Oliver will both have abilities in the future. Since Timeline was combining all three time zones, it seems like a fairly logical reason to theorize that only people who would never have superpowers (in the past, present, or future) would be affected by Timeline's ability to freeze time. Either that, or it was a matter of proximity, since most of the students were farther away from Timeline. Either theory is possible, though I'm more of a fan of the first one. I'm going to bring it up in a future chapter probably, though I'm not sure when. I'm glad you're so interested in Alivia. In this story, I'm really putting a lot of work into character development, and for both her and Dani (and Kaz and Oliver), this is serving as an origin story. I think you're really going to be interested in the direction I plan to take with Alivia's character. And yes, I'm planning Kani eventually, though I make no promises on when they're getting together. And thanks for the congratulations, though I must say that the seniors at your school are lucky for graduating so early. Our school semester goes right up to the end of June. My graduation date is the 29** **th** **of June or something.**

 **Avaoreo1112: To be honest, I miss Calla too. Writing her was so much fun. As for Dani and Calla and how they will get along, it's going to be a very interesting relationship. Maybe a bit complicated, but they're definitely going to have a very strong bond. I think a lot of people are going to like it. And thanks for the wish of good luck, but I no longer need it – I got accepted last month to a nearby university. Now…Return of Heroes. Honestly, I've hit a bit of writer's block with that. I don't know why, but even though I know what I need to do with the chapter, I just can't seem to get the words out right. I'll finish the story one day, but I'm not sure when. And when I do update it, it's updating will most likely not affect The Days of Our Lives or The Power of Seven, whichever one of those I'm on at the time. I'm a little torn on my opinion of Elite Force. I think it's off to a great start. The Roman and Riker thing is progressing a little slowly and there aren't many actions scenes, but that was how it was when Lab Rats started. I can't remember a decent right scene in the first season at all. The main reason why I'm frustrated is how the characters are being written. I think the writers are focusing too much on certain aspects of a character and not others. Like with Oliver – in Mighty Med, he was Skylar's friend, even though he had a crush on her. Now, it's obsessive, and occasionally creepy, love for her. Or Chase, who's being written off as too full of himself and too science-y (I mean, they are big aspects of his personality, but I think they're going overboard with it). But in the long run, I think the series will do well.**

 **xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Alan: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns this story, Dani, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Oliver's POV**

"Face it Kaz; you're just wrong this time." I insisted as we walked into the rec room. Dani was sitting in one of the chairs by the TV, writing something down on a clipboard while Skylar jumped rope. Even though she wasn't a superhero anymore, she still kept up with her training. It was her way of still feeling like she's a superhero, and I think Dani was beginning to appreciate the company on her morning runs, so it kinda worked out for both girls.

I noticed a man in a Mighty Med-issue maintenance uniform kneeling by the TV, fiddling with wires underneath.

"What's going on?" Kaz inquired.

"Oh, he's installing a new security system for the hospital." Dani replied, not looking up. "It's really high-tech and stuff. Still in the testing phase."

"Which is why Horace doesn't want us to touch it." Skylar added. Immediately, Kaz reached out to touch it. I slapped his hand away, then looked at Skylar and Dani.

"Settle an argument for us." I requested.

"If this is still about whose feet are more attractive, leave me out of it." Dani responded, tilting her head back to look at us.

"No, this argument is much more important." I insisted. "Kaz says that villains are born evil and I say that they become evil because they're mistreated and humiliated during their life. What do you guys think?"

"Ollie's right. Sorta." Dani replied.

"What, no he's not!" Kaz protested. I smirked.

"Thanks D-wait. What do you mean 'sorta'?" I questioned. She shrugged, turning the chair around so she could face us.

"Well, no one is born evil. Supervillains are turned evil, but not necessarily through humiliation or mistreatment. Look at the Reverse Flash, or Mr. Freeze, or Nightstrike. They're all villains who turned to the dark side because of events that happened in their life." She reasoned. "So, you're right in saying that supervillains are turned evil, but I don't think their motives are limited to humiliation or mistreatment."

"What do you think, Skylar?" Kaz questioned, obviously hoping to get someone on his side.

"Well, not all villains are the same, and sometimes it's impossible to tell if someone's evil until it's too late." She replied thoughtfully.

"There's always signs." Kaz dismissed it. "For example, if you cackle evilly while stroking a pet, then you might be a pet, you might be a villain."

"Or if your favorite phrases are: 'Victory is mine!', 'You'll rue the day,' or 'So, we meet again,', you might be a villain." I agreed.

"Hey Alan." Dani greeted as the sweater-vest loving boy came into the room, riding a tricycle. There was a mound of white fur in the basket hanging off the handlebars.

"My uncle Horace said I couldn't ride a unicycle, but look at me! I'm riding three of them at once!" He proclaimed proudly. "I did it! Victory is mine. He'll rue the day he doubted me!" He looked at us, acknowledging for the first time that we were in the room. "So, we meet again."

"I think Alan might be a villain." Kaz mentioned, collapsing into the chair next Dani as we watched Alan bike around the room.

"No, Alan may be annoying, but he's not a villain." I told him. "Now, if Horace keeps putting him down all the time, he might become a villain. You know what, I'm going to go talk to Horace about treating Alan with more respect."

"Don't!" Skylar stopped me. "You know what we do on my planet to people who butt into other people's business? We take them to the circus."

"That doesn't sound so bad." I grinned. I'd always liked the circus.

"Circus is our word for guillotine." She informed me.

"Well, that doesn't sound fun." Dani hummed. I sent her a look as Alan biked closer to us.

"Come Mittens," he petted the fur in the basket as he biked. He laughed evilly as he biked around, clearly enjoying himself.

"Evil cackle, check. Stroking a pet, check." Dani looked at me. "Oh, he's a villain."

"Not if I can help it." I wasn't going to let the way Horace treated Alan turn him into a villain. I walked over to him, smiling kindly. "Hey Alan, that's a cute cat."

Alan looked up at me, confused. "It's not a cat! It's my earmuffs! I call them 'Mittens'." He pulled the earmuffs out of the basket and put them over his ears. "C'mon Mittens, let's go continue planning for world domination."

He biked away after that, laughing to himself.

"Oh, right." Dani snapped her fingers. "I forgot. If your hobbies include planning world domination, you might be a villain."

 **Xxx**

After having a very long conversation with Horace, I walked back into the main ER, feeling very proud of myself. "So, I talked to Horace about Alan, and it went very well." I announced, heading over to Skylar.

"Oh, I should give you a hug." She offered. I grinned.

"Okay." I replied. She raised one hand and slapped me upside the head. "Ow!" I complained. "Let me guess: that's a hug on your planet?"

"No, this is." She flicked me on the forehead.

"Ow!" I protested, rubbing my head.

"Why did you talk to Horace? I specifically told you not to butt in!" She snapped, annoyed.

"Don't worry; it's all good." I reassured her. "Horace agreed to give Alan more opportunities at the hospital to help build his self-esteem."

As if on cue, Alan walked into the room. "Excuse me! Fellow co-workers!" He called. "My Uncle Horace is at a medical conference on Neptune today and he's put me in charge while he's gone. I look forward to working with each and every one of you, and I promise to do my best."

I smiled, knowing that I'd done the right thing. "Another villain prevented; you're welcome world."

"Nice job." Skylar crossed her arms. "I should give you a hug."

I flinched back instantly, reaching up to cover my head. "Please don't!" I said quickly.

"Anyway, carry on and don't worry; nothing is going to change." Alan continued. He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a remote control, and hit a button. A roll of paper above the Mighty Med sign unrolled, covering the logo with a picture of Alan's face. "Now listen up, drones!" He shouted. I stared at him, stunned. "From now on, everything's going to change. Starting with…no more calling me Alan! Call me Chief Executive Senior Prime Minister International Supreme Overlord of Mighty Med."

Oops. "See what you did!" Skylar glared at me.

"C'mon. It'll be good for Alan." Maybe he was a little full of himself, but he wasn't evil. "It's one afternoon; how bad can it be?"

"You two!" Alan called us over. "Reflexor's recovering upstairs and he needs some organic milk."

"Easy." I agreed. "No problem."

"Fresh organic milk." Alan insisted, pulling a metal bucket out from underneath a nearby bed. He handed it to me.

"Fine." I said reluctantly.

"Fresh, organic, whale milk." He added. "Killer whale milk. Serial killer whale milk."

I grimaced, turning back to Skylar as he left. "You were saying?" She questioned, crossing her arms.

 **Dani's POV**

"I found a Blue Tornado one." Alivia hummed, looking through the box of comics she was going to. Skylar had sent me a text while we were on our lunch break, saying that Alan was taking over the hospital, so Kaz and I had decided to take the afternoon off before he could stop us. As a result, we were hanging at the Domain. Alivia and I were looking for some new reading material, while Kaz was attempting to win at some video game.

"They're having a sale on Mesmira comics." I mentioned to Kaz as I browsed through the comic book selection.

"Yes!" He shouted.

"I know. They're like half-off!" I agreed.

"No, not you." He told me. I looked up to see him grinning like a fool. "I just beat your high score on Asteroid Assassin."

"That's not me." I hummed, confused.

"Sure it isn't." He scoffed. "Read it and weep CutiePie15." He chuckled. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You really think I'd use CutiePie15 as a username?" I questioned skeptically. His face fell, realizing how out of character that would be for me.

"But if you're not CutiePie15, then who is?" He questioned.

"You beat my high score?!" Clyde demanded, walking over to us with a not-so-happy look on his face. "That was the most important thing in my life!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! More important than your brother, who makes you soup?" Wallace questioned. "You are so ungrateful! I can not believe I gave you my kidney…bean soup."

Clyde looked at him. "Hey, why do you always pause after you say the word kidney…bean soup? Wow, never mind. I do it too."

I rolled my eyes. "Clyde, don't take it so hard." I told the store owner. "Records are made to be broken."

"And so are windows." Kaz added. He chuckled nervously. "By the way, I broke your window."

Clyde was still upset. "Nobody beats CutiePie15. I want a re-match! I dare you to play me, and if I win, you're banished from the store forever."

Kaz smirked confidently. "Okay, but if I win, I get one of every Tecton collectible in the store for free."

Clyde hesitated. "Even the Tecton Tectons?"

"Even the Tecton Tectons." He agreed. Clyde considered it for a very long moment. Eventually, he nodded.

"Deal!" He agreed. "Seven P.M., tonight. Be there. Unless you're chicken…noodle soup. Why do I do that?"

He and Wallace walked away. Alivia and I turned to Kaz, concerned. "Kaz, are you sure about that? Those are pretty high stakes. Do you really think you can beat him?" I questioned. Clyde didn't often play video games during store hours, but I'd seen him partake in a tournament or two, and even I had to admit he was pretty good.

"No!" Kaz retorted nervously. "I stink at this game!"

Alivia frowned, confused. "Then how'd you break his record?"

"I was in one of those zones where you can do no wrong." Kaz shook his head helplessly. "Like the time I remembered all of my siblings' names, all ten of them."

I sighed. "Eleven."

"What?" Kaz looked at me.

"You said ten siblings. You have eleven." I reminded him. He gave me a sheepish smile.

"Right." He agreed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Look, if you're bad at the game, why'd you agree to the rematch?" She questioned, looking at him like he was an idiot. I sighed.

"Because Clyde dared him." I told her. "And when it comes to dares, Kaz has no common sense."

Kaz looked at me, annoyed. "I can't back down from a dare!" He protested. "I'm biologically incapable of it." Alivia hummed thoughtfully.

"I never knew that." She commented. I smirked, looking around. I caught sight of a little old lady looking over a display, probably looking for a gift for her grandchild or something.

"Hey Kaz," I smiled, turning to him. "I dare you to go kiss that little old lady on the cheek."

He looked at me. "I hate you somedays." He let me know before walking over to the old lady and boldly kissing her on the cheek. She stared at him for a moment before pulling a card out of her pocket and handing it to him. When Kaz looked at her, confused, she gave him a smile then left the store.

He walked back over to us. "She gave me her number." He said confused.

"You're kidding." Alivia laughed in disbelief, taking the paper from him. She looked it over, then laughed some more. "Kaz, she's a therapist."

"Really?" Kaz looked at her. The red-head nodded. "That makes so much sense."

"Hey." I took the card from her and slipped into Kaz's shirt pocket. "You should probably keep this."

 **Oliver's POV**

"I can't believe Alan's making us wear these." Skylar complained, adjusting the sweater vest Alan had made mandatory for all employees to wear."

"It could be worse." I tried to assure her. She was about to argue when a hologram of Alan's face appeared above the circle of counters.

" _Good Alan to you."_ The recording began. _"Here at Alan, our doctors, who will now be known as Alan, shall provide the best service to our patients, who will also be known as Alan. Have an Alan day!"_

"That's going to get old quickly." I muttered. Skylar turned to me, furious.

"You had to talk to Horace." She told me. "Now Alan is mad with power, and he's making us do all the worst jobs! It's all your fault, Oliver!"

"C'mon! Our jobs are not that bad." I reasoned. "Now grab the weed wacker – we have to go trim Gargantuan's nose hairs."

Alan walked up to us, smiling cheerfully. "Good Alan to you Alans." He greeted us. "I have good Alan. My reign as Alan as Alan will continue Alan Alan. Any Alans?

"I have an Alan." I replied. "What are you talking about?"

"Fine." He sighed. "My reign over this hospital will continue indefinitely."

"What?" Skylar demanded. "But Horace is supposed to be back tonight!"

"Oh, he'll be back tonight." He agreed before smiling cruelly. "But I tricked the Great Defender into slowing down Neptune's rotation so tonight, for my Uncle Horace, won't be for another sixty years."

He walked away, humming to himself. Skylar looked like she'd had enough.

"That's it! I am calling Horace." She decided, pulling out her cell phone. She dialed the number and brought it up to her ear, scowling when it failed to connect. "Ugh! Neptune has the worst reception!"

"Don't worry; I can save Alan before he turns into a full fledged villain." I promised her. "I just to need to talk to him, treat him with kindness and respect, and everything will be fine."

 **Xxx**

Okay, so maybe things didn't go exactly as I planned. Half an hour later, I found myself trapped in Dimension Zero, my only way to communicate with Skylar and the rest of the outside world being a small window.

"So, how'd your talk go with Alan?" Skylar hummed, giving me an I-told-you-so look.

"Apparently, he doesn't like it when you think outside the box." I commented dryly.

 **Dani's POV**

(After watching Kaz lose at the video game several times)

Once again, Kaz was killed on the video game. He'd been practicing all day, and every time, he lost before he got even a hundred points. I let out a groan, burying my face in my hands.

"Damn, Kaz, you really do suck at this." I muttered.

"You even spelled your name wrong." Alivia laughed lightly. "You put a percentage sign in there."

I raised my head, brushing my hair out of my eyes to see that she was right.

"I'm just nervous!" Kaz protested. I pushed myself off the couch.

"Okay, okay. Settle down K%Z." I smirked a little at his frustrated look. "Look, you just need to get back into your zone.

"How?" Kaz questioned.

"Name all your siblings!" Alivia suggested, trying to be helpful. Kaz nodded.

"Okay." He thought for a second, then began counting them off on his fingers. "Katie, Kenny, Kevin, Kaley, Kasey, Kyle, Karen, Kasey-"

"You already said Kasey." Alivia pointed out, interrupting him. He nodded.

"Yeah, there's two Kaseys. One's a guy, one's a girl." Kaz explained. "My parents just get lazy after the seventh kid. I've got a baby sister whose name is just K."

Clyde walked over to us then, a confident smirk on his face and a large fish in his hand. "So, Kaz, I've got a little riddle for you. What do you and this herring both have in common?" He tapped Kaz on his shoulders and forehead with the fish.

"We both smell like herring now?" Kaz guessed, raising an eyebrow.

"No, tonight you're both going to get smoked." Clyde announced. We all looked at him, confused. He sighed and quickly explained. "Herring is a fish commonly served smoked-you know what, I'm going to go get a salmon and try again."

"You're awfully confident for someone who's about to get his butt kicked." I said, walking up to Clyde. He was overconfident, and kind of annoying.

"Oh really?" Clyde asked me, his tone mocking me a little.

"Really." I agreed. I heard Alivia in the background, trying to get me to back off, but I continued quickly, not even thinking about what I was saying. "In fact, let's raise the stakes. If Kaz wins, Oliver, Kaz, and I all get memorabilia of our favorite superheroes."

"And if you lose, all three of you are banned from the store forever." Clyde added. And before I knew what I was doing or saying, I nodded.

"Bring it." I growled before any of my friends could stop me. Clyde looked past me, at Kaz.

"You better take your hide to a tanning salon because I am going to tan your hide." He paused. "Yeah, that makes sense."

The moment he was gone, Kaz turned on me. "Dani!" He exclaimed, exasperated.

"I'm sorry!" I cried. "Sorry, I kinda got caught up in the moment and I didn't think. I'm sorry."

Kaz sighed. "Yeah, well if I lose, you're going to be the one to tell Oliver why we can't come back here."

"If you lose." Alivia agreed. "But you can still win. You just need some practice. And maybe some luck."

"Hey, aren't the Irish supposed to be lucky or something?" I teased. She laughed lightly, unoffended, but proceeded to push me to the side a little.

 **Oliver's POV**

After being stuck in Dimension Zero for over an hour, even I had to admit that Alan was evil. "Okay, I was wrong." I admitted to Skylar. She'd brought the Dimension Zero window into the rec room and turned it to face away from the door. "Alan was born evil. We have to end his reign or tyranny."

"Okay. But first, I was to try something." She reached out and spread her hand on the window. Though I couldn't tell what she was seeing, she smiled. "Cool! Dimension Zero has a zoom feature. Is anyone else in there?"

She began to slide her fingers across the window. The window would go black for a second, but each time, it lit back up, revealing Skylar's face. "Me. Me." I told her as she continued to swipe through the window (or windows?). "Still me. Please stop." She sighed, but did as I requested. "Now turn me around so I call rally the staff of Mighty Med to revolt! We have strength in numbers."

Skylar sighed and turned me around. To my genuine shock, the only other staff member in the room was Lizardman. "Where is everyone?" I questioned.

"They all left." Skylar explained. "Lizardman's the only one here because…well, where's he gonna go? He's a lizard-man."

"So!" Alan pushed into the room, followed by two of Mighty Med's security guards. "You sniveling ingrates are trying to take me down!"

"How did you know that?" Skylar demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know." He replied.

Skylar looked at him. "I would."

"I overheard." He explained. "I was right outside, getting a snack from the vending machine."

"Oh, what'd you get?" Skylar as curiously.

"Wouldn't you like to know!" Alan said again.

Skylar looked at him. "Again, yes I would."

"Trail mix. I like salty-sweet." Alan admitted before going straight back to business. "Anyway, now I must punish you cowards for your acts of treason."

I scoffed. "What could you possibly do to make things worse than they already are?"

Alan snorted, amused. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Skylar gave him an annoyed look. "Seriously?"

"Fine. I'll show you." Alan decided.

 **Xxx**

To be perfectly honest, Alan's punishment wasn't the worst thing I could think of. In fact, I was actually enjoying having Skylar's company now that she too was trapped in Dimension Zero. However, she didn't seem too pleased at the tight squeeze.

"You're right; this is worse." She complained as I laid my head on her shoulder.

"I don't know. It's not so bad." I hummed happily. Suddenly, Lizardman startled me from behind, as I'd forgotten that he had also been shoved in here at the same time as Skylar. "Ah! Dude, you're wrecking it!"

 **Xxx**

After making sure that we were all secure in Dimension Zero, Alan had the guards bring us out into the main E.R.

"You have been found guilty of mutiny." He announced. "And the punishment is to be hung…on the wall."

"You're hanging us on the wall?" Skylar questioned as the guards removed a framed photograph of a bridge and replaced it with the Dimension Zero window. "What's so bad about that?"

"I'm going to have you hung slightly askew." He decided. One of the guards tipped the window to the side a bit, angling it, and all of Dimension Zero tipped too. It took me a moment to find my footing, as it wasn't the most comfortable position.

The guards handed Alan the picture of the bridge, unsure of what to do with it. "I hate bridges!" He shouted childishly, pushing it back into the guard's arms. "And now," Alan turned back to us, "to prevent future mutinies, I'm going to activate the new security system."

"It hasn't been tested yet!" I reminded him. "No one can touch it; Horace specifically forbid it."

"My Uncle Horace isn't in charge anymore. I am!" Alan snapped before raising his head. "Computer, activate the security system!"

There were two quick beeps, then a distinctly feminine voice responded. _"You must enter the correct password."_

"WHAT?" Alan demanded, angry and shocked. There was another ding.

" _Password accepted."_ The computer announced. Alan nodded, smirking.

"Security bots!" He called. Two black, robotic orbs floated down from the ceiling to hover right in front of him. "Make sure these prisoners do not escape from Dimension Zero."

The security bots either misunderstood Alan's instructions or had some kind of glitch, because they suddenly began to attack the E.R. They shot laser beams left and right, blasting things every where. Thankfully, there weren't any patients in the E.R. yet, and the real guards had fled the room, so there weren't many people to get hurt.

Alan ducked behind one of the counters, staring at the orbs in fear. "When my Uncle Horace gets back, he's going to kill me." He looked at us pleadingly. "You guys have to help me!"

"Never!" I retorted. "You humiliated us, and laughed at us, and made us milk a serial killer whale!"

He shrugged sheepishly, a half-guilty smile on his face. "You made us suffer, and now I will watch Horace make you suffer! Yes! You will snivel and cower before him!" I laughed.

Skylar looked at me, aghast. "That was an evil cackle. You're getting pleasure from his misfortune." She told me sternly. "You're turning into a villain."

"How dare you call me a villain!" I snapped, seriously offended. "You will rue the-oh dang it, I am a villain."

I looked at Alan, immediately feeling guilty. "Well, it's not too late for me." I decided. "Alan, let us out so we can help you."

He snatched a remote off the nearest counter and hit a button. Instantly, Skylar, Lizardman, and I fell out of Dimension Zero through the window, hitting the ground. Lizardman took one look at the security bots and ran for the hills, while Skylar and I climbed to our feet, already trying to think of a way to stop them.

Alan and I leapt behind the nearest counter as lasers continued to be shot our way, while Skylar ducked behind a nearby column. This was not going to be easy, that was for sure.

 **Dani's POV**

I grimaced as we all watched Clyde's score rise higher and higher. Not only was he doing wonderfully at the game, but the competition had attracted a crowd. Why'd I have to open my big mouth earlier? Now Ollie, Kaz, and I were all going to get kicked out of the store.

"Yeah!" Clyde shouted victoriously as his new score appeared on the screen.

"It's a new high score!" Wallace announced for everyone to hear. Clyde smirked and looked in our direction.

"Let's see you beat that, Kaz!" He exclaimed. Kaz looked at him nervously, his hands shoved in his pockets to stop him from rubbing them together – a nervous habit of his I happened to notice. "Of course that's just an expression – I don't actually want to see you beat that, because that record is the most important thing in my life."

"Hey!" Wallace looked hurt. "You own a business."

"Co-own." Clyde corrected him. "I don't own it unless you die."

"Wow. That rolled off your tongue a little too easily." Wallace accused. Alivia looked at me, frowning.

"Do all twins fight like that?" She asked. I shook my head.

"No, just them." I assured her. At least, Ollie and I didn't fight like that. We'd get in some argument, maybe a little roughhousing when we were little, but never an actual fight.

"Alright Kaz, you're up!" Clyde announced, holding out the controller. "Enjoy this moment because it's going to be your last in this store, forever."

"I should have known I could never beat him." Kaz muttered. Alivia patted his shoulder.

"You'll do fine." She assured him. Kaz looked at her like she was crazy.

"I've only wasted, like, five years of my life on these things. He's wasted like fifty." He reasoned. Clyde looked at him, offended, but didn't comment.

"I don't want to hear any negative talk out of you; that's Jordan's thing." The Irish girl insisted. "Now go kick his ass so I don't have to listen to you, Oliver, and Dani pout about not being able to come in here again."

"I think that's the first time I've ever heard you swear." I hummed. She shrugged.

"You're a bad influence." She told me. I nodded.

"Good." I turned back to Kaz. "Look, just go out there, and don't totally humiliate yourself."

"Well, that's encouraging." He grumbled. I rolled my eyes.

"Just go." I pushed him gently towards the TV, knowing fully well that this was not going to end in our favor.

 **Oliver's POV**

"That's it! I'm out of here!" Alan muttered beside me before running screaming from the room. The security bots continued to fire on us. I glanced as Skylar, who appeared to be trapped behind the column.

I bolted forward, sliding to my knees to avoid getting hit by a laser. I managed to hide behind a tray of medical equipment, near Skylar, but not quite close enough to hide in the same spot as her.

"These things are everywhere! What are we going to do?" She demanded.

"I have a plan." I told her. "Remember Vanquisher issue 217?"

If it had been Kaz or Dani, they would have known my plan right off the bat, just by being told the issue number. But Skylar just looked at me, confused. "I was in comic books, I don't read comic books!" She snapped.

Note to self: make Skylar read comic books. "Well, the Vanquisher was battling some very similar robots. They used thermal and motion sensors, so the Vanquisher confused their targeting systems, creating false heat signatur-"

"And this is why I don't read comic books." Skylar interrupted me. I sighed.

"Here's the plan." I told her. "You draw the bots' attention because you're so hot." She looked at me, and I quickly realized what I said. "I mean, your body temperature is higher than Normos."

"Sure." She didn't believe my correction for a moment, but I quickly continued.

"I'll use the surgical lasers and go all Asteroid Assassin on them. You ever play that game? It's awesome." I grinned.

"I was in video games. I don't play video games!" She snapped before leaping into action. She ran across the room, hopping over gurneys and ducking under lasers. She even managed to grab a metal tray and use it to deflect one of the lasers back at the security bot. The blow didn't destroy the machine, but it definitely did some damage. I grabbed one of the laser machines and ran to the side, taking a very well-aimed shot at them.

Unfortunately, the laser wasn't powerful enough to destroy the bots on its own, so I was going to have to get a few good shots in before I would be able to stop them. I ducked and rolled, before taking aim again, this time hitting the bot in such a way that it was hit off its path. It corrected itself quickly, but it was still an amazing shot.

Skylar did a flip over one of the counters, drawing the bot's fire. I slid forward, kicking my legs out in front of me instinctively, taking a shot. Thankfully, the shot hit it in just the right spot to deactivate it.

"Oliver behind you!" Skylar shouted suddenly. I quickly turned the weapon around in my hands, shooting it over my shoulder without looking. I smirked cockily when I heard the bot hit the ground with a clang.

"Wow." Skylar offered me a hand up. "Not bad for a Normo."

"All in a day's work." I replied, moving the laser blaster behind my back. My finger accidently hit the on button though, and even though the laser was only on briefly, it burnt my leg. "Ow."

"You just shot yourself, didn't you?" Skylar guessed.

"No." I lied, even though it hurt. Like a lot.

"Well, it's over." Skylar smiled. "We won."

 **Dani's POV**

"It's over!" Clyde cheered, parading around Kaz as the scores appeared on the screen. "You lost."

Kaz sighed, clearly annoyed. "You got the second lowest score ever." Clyde chuckled. "Right above someone named K%Z."

"But I looked so cool!" The black haired boy protested. "I even did one of these!" He spun around and pretended to shoot something under his leg.

"Yeah, well now you're banished." Clyde cheered. "For good."

"Wait." I stopped him. "I want a rematch. Against me this time. And if I win, Kaz, Ollie, and I aren't banished anymore."

"And if I win?" Clyde questioned. I hesitated, then said the first thing I could think of.

"Kaz gives you his pants." I blurted out.

"What?" Kaz stared at me. "I love these pants."

"They are nice pants." Clyde hummed. I looked at him hopefully. "It's a deal."

 **Xxx**

Clyde cheered as my score appeared on the screen, my number not even close to his. "You didn't even try!" Kaz accused.

"I hate to admit it, but I actually did." I sighed. "But hey, at least my score was higher than yours."

"I can't not believe I have to do this." Kaz muttered, unzipping his pants. He pulled them off, and to my and Alivia's surprise, he was wearing a pair of sweat pants underneath. He handed his pants to Clyde, while we looked at him.

"You're wearing two pairs of pants?" Alivia questioned. He nodded, frowning.

"Yeah, why? How many are you wearing?" He questioned.

 **Oliver's POV**

Even though the E.R. room was a mess, I had to say that things could have gone a lot worse. "Nice job, Oliver." Skylar told me sincerely. "You wanna hug."

"Yes." I grinned, then remembered earlier. "No! Do I? I'm so confused!"

Skylar chuckled lightly, then looked around. "Where's Alan?" She questioned.

"Is it over?" We heard him ask. We both turned around to see that he'd jumped into the Dimension Zero window. I sighed and grabbed the remote, hitting the button to release him.

He landed on the floor clumsily, then pushed himself up. "Thanks for helping me, guys." He told us. "No one's ever treated me this nicely before. I better get this all cleaned up before my Uncle Horace gets back."

I smiled and looked at Skylar. "See? I was right. You treat someone well, and you put them on the path to being a good person."

Suddenly, one of the bots twitched. "Wait, one of the bots are still alive!" I exclaimed, grabbing the laser. I shot at the bot, but the laser went right through Alan's earmuffs. Sure, I managed to stop the bot before it regained its power, but the earmuffs were destroyed.

"Mittens! No!" Alan cried in horror. He glared at me, furious. "You'll rue the day."

"And now I turned him back." I admitted. Suddenly, my phone rang. I quickly answered it. "Yeah?"

" _Ollie?"_ Dani's reply was slow and hesitant, as if she was unsure about something.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked.

" _Um…I did something that you're not gonna like…"_ She said slowly. _"And I need you to come down to the Domain. Like right now."_

"Why? Are you in trouble?" I demanded, worried. She laughed darkly.

" _Uh, not yet, no. But I…look, just get down here right now."_ She insisted before hanging up. I looked at Skylar, concerned.

 **Xxx**

When I ran into The Domain, I honestly expected something to be wrong. I didn't expect to see everyone watching Clyde pull on a pair of pants, while Kaz stood in his sweatpants.

"Hey, Dee, are you…" I stopped midsentence, staring at them. "Kaz, why is Clyde wearing your pants?"

"Dani?" Kaz gave my sister a pointed look, expecting her to explain.

"Uh, there was a bet, and technically it was my fault, and Kaz and I lost to Clyde at Alien Assassins, so now Ollie, Kaz, and I are banished from the Domain and Kaz had to give him his pants." Dani winced, looking at me as if she expected me to be angry. But after the day I just had, I was too tired to actually get upset. "I'm sorry."

"Wait, we never said. Are we banned for my life, or yours?" Kaz questioned, looking at Clyde. "Because you're like, what? Eighty?"

"How about a rematch?" I questioned, walking up to him. "And if I win, then Kaz, Dani, and I are allowed to come back here whenever we want. And if you win-"

"Ollie gives you his pants!" Dani exclaimed. Kaz turned to look at her.

"What is with you and pants today?" He demanded. She shrugged, a slight smirk on her face. I looked at Clyde confidently.

"It's a deal." I told him. Kaz looked at uncertainly.

"Are you sure?" He asked. I smiled.

"Don't worry; after the day I just had, I've got this." I assured him.

 **Xxx**

"Pants please." Clyde held out his hand after I lost. I sighed and pulled off my jeans, revealing the sweat pants I was wearing underneath.

"Why are you both wearing multiple layers of pants?" Alivia questioned, frowning. I looked at her as I handed my pants to Clyde.

"You think this is the first time Dani's used our pants as bargaining chips?" I countered.

"What's going on?" Wallace asked, walking over to us. Clyde smirked.

"CutiePie15 is once again the reigning champion, and Kaz, Oliver, and Dani are banished from the store forever." He proclaimed proudly before he looked at us. "Now split…pea soup. I really have to see a doctor."

"Hold on." Wallace stopped us, then pulled his brother over to the side. Alivia turned to Dani.

"Okay, I need to know; just how many pairs of pants have Kaz and Oliver lost because of one of your bets?"

 **Wallace's POV**

I glanced at the kids to make sure they couldn't hear us, then looked at my other half. "We can't banish Kaz, Oliver, or Dani. We need them around so they can lead us to Mighty Med."

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot." He agreed. "I got so worked up. And these are really nice pants." He held up Oliver's pants to prove his point.

"These are really nice pants." I agreed, looking them over. We talked about them for a moment before walking back over to the kids.

"Kids, kids. Good news." I told the children. "Clyde here just reconsidered and you are no longer banished."

"Nah, it's okay." Kaz assured us. "We'll just buy our comics online."

"No!" I snapped quickly. "You guys are our best customers, even though you rarely buy anything. We really want you to stay. Right Clyde?"

My other was reluctant to answer, but eventually saw sense. "Yes. Please stay." He ground out through his teeth.

"Okay, but we want our pants back." Oliver demanded. My other half sighed.

"Fine." He agreed.

"And all the Tecton collectables." Kaz added.

"What?" I grabbed the nearest Tecton memorabilia. "Even the Tecton Hong Kong Ping Pong?"

"Even the Tecton Hong Kong Ping Pong." Kaz agreed.

"Fine." I agreed. Kaz took the toy from me.

"I will be back for the rest after I get my Tecton Two Tote Carry On." He told us. The kids left the store, the boys carrying their pants over their shoulders.

"Even when I win, I still lose." My other half sighed. "Those children will rue the day. Yes, we will meet again and victory will be ours."

"And we will wipe out every superhero in the world and take their lives." I agreed.

"And their pants." He added. I looked at him.

"That goes without saying."

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: So, what did you guys think? Good, bad? In between? Let me know! I write these stories for you guys, but I won't know how you guys like it if no one tells me. So make sure to review!**

 **Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few weeks:**

 **May 23** **rd** **– Lockdown**

 **May 29** **th** **– So You Think You Can Be a Sidekick**

 **June 5** **th** **– The Friend of my Friend is my Enemy**

 **Anyway, make sure to review! I'll see you guys on Monday.**


	8. Lockdown

**Kihonne: Alright, I'm back, as promised. This time, I bring with me Lockdown! Personally, it's one of my favorite episodes, so it was a fun one to write. Anyway, I don't want to babble on for long, so why don't we get onto the chapter? But first…**

 **Xxx**

 **Aliqueen16: I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Oh, and before I forget, happy belated birthday. Kinda good timing too, since this episode is about throwing the twins an early surprise birthday party. And yeah, I thought it would be cute, and very in character for him to worry about others.**

 **LabGirl2001: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you like this one just as much.**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: Thanks. The first original chapter will likely be chapter 30. Most of my ideas for original chapters take place later in the series, after certain plotlines have been introduced or dealt with – such as one that you will read about in next week's chapter ;) – so that's the earliest confirmed one. If I get some really good inspiration, then there might be one earlier, and I will probably do the Q &A before then, but that's the earliest I can promise. And as I said before, there won't be many original chapters – at least two, at most four – but the ones I will do are going to be big. They won't be just a random chapter, they're going to be important, game changing chapters. You'll see what I mean when we get there. As for Norrie, she's just a random extra. I like to have a number of named extras at my disposal, in case I want to use them again. I did the same thing with the Lab Assistant, especially with the students – I actually have a list with all 100 of their names and genders. So, for now Norrie's just an extra, but she may possibly reappear in the future.**

 **Algernon: It's the only theory that makes sense, even though the writers probably didn't even plan for Kaz and Oliver to have powers, at least not that early in the series' development. And wow, are your seniors lucky. We actually finish a day after the underclassmen, though you're probably right about when you start having an effect – we always start after Labor Day. I think Alan was a really well-developed character. I mean, I wasn't his biggest fan, but his character changed a lot over the series, and I agree that believing he had Normo roots definitely had a major effect on that.**

 **Avaoreo1112: Your review went through both times, but there are two probable reasons why you couldn't see it. One, my account is set to let me moderate guest reviews before the public sees them – I have it set like that so I can get rid of spammers like that guy that review twelve times trying to get to go on some Christianity site. Usually, unless I delete the review, it will be visible after 24 hours. Two, fanfiction's review thing has been down, and it was impossible for anyone to see new reviews on the site for a few days, even though the authors were still getting the emails. It doesn't matter though. Anyway thanks, for both the praise and the congratulations. I started myself started Lab Rats in late season 1 (I think Dude, Where's My Lab? may have been my first episode), so I didn't notice how slow the series started out until I started The Lab Assistant. Chase and Oliver have definitely changed a lot – it's like the writers took a couple of their personality characteristics and exaggerated them until they took over the characters, though I have to disagree about Kaz. While he has become a lot more serious since the end of Mighty Med, I think that was actually a good move by the writers. I mean, if you look at what he, Oliver, and Skylar have been through recently – their place of work being completely destroyed, many of their friends dead and not being sure about God-knows how many others – that would be what most people call traumatic. It makes perfect sense for it to have left a serious impact of the three of them, and I think Kaz' more serious attitude reflects that. If that's what the writers were thinking when they were writing this season, they did it well. He's serious enough for us to realize he's changed, but not so much that we don't recognize the old Kaz. From a writer's point of view, that was some very clever character development for him. Maybe I've over-analyzing things there (I tend to do that when it comes to characters) but I think it was a good move. There haven't been any new episodes, though they have released a date for the next one. It's either the end of June, or the end of July. I can't remember exactly, but I think they're doing that to line up with the Olympics, since there's an upcoming episode called The Bionic Olympics (fingers crossed for Leo and/or Adam to guest star). The last episode played was The List, so I doubt you missed any. Anyway, thanks for the well-wishes. My vacation was fun. Got a little sun, visited some family, went shopping. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Oh, and before we start, I'd like to say a happy early birthday to my little brother, Kieran. Anyway, let's get onto the chapter, shall we?**

 **Kaz: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kaz's POV**

"Skylar, come with me!" I insisted, grabbing her arm as I walked past her. I didn't have much time to talk to her, and I needed to tell her, Gus, and Alivia about my plan.

"Okay, okay!" She pulled her arm out of my grasp, but followed me over to Alivia's locker, where she and Gus were talking about the marching band's next performance.

"Good morning Kaz, Connie. Where are Oliver and Dani?" Alivia questioned, smiling at us. I glanced over my shoulder, double checking to make sure we were in the clear. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I assured her. "Dani and Oliver are helping Coach Rombough set up for the basketball game tonight."

"That's nice of them." Alivia mentioned. I nodded.

"Yeah, they're always doing stuff like that." I checked over my shoulder again. "Look, you all know that their birthday's coming up, right?"

"If by coming up, you mean not happening for another three months." Gus told me. "I remember the date because it's the anniversary of when I realized I do like toast, despite what everyone said."

"I know." I ignored the last bit. "But…I want to throw them a surprise party, because they're always being nice to everyone else without asking for anything in return, and I think it's about time we return the favor."

"I'm listening." Skylar leaned against her locker.

"Well, I've been trying to pull off a surprise party for them for years, but it never works out because they always guess ahead of time." I continued. "So, I figured that if we throw the party early enough in the year, they won't see it coming."

"Awesome!" Skylar grinned. "I've always wanted to go to a surprise party! We have to keep it a secret. No one say a word about it!"

I nodded, glad that they were all on board. "Okay, so here's the plan-"

Before I could say anything more, Skylar pushed me into the nearest locker, her elbow at my throat. "Keep your mouth shut! You're going to ruin the surprise!"

"I have to tell you about the party!" I snapped back, pushing her off of me. She backed off, realizing her mistake.

"Sorry." She apologized. I just shook my head, brushing it off.

"So, since Oliver and Dani always figure it out, I'm having the party tonight so they'll never expect it." I told them.

"Never expect what?" Oliver asked innocently as he and Dani walked over to us. I hesitated.

"Uh…this!" I exclaimed, attempting to poke him in the eyes. He blocked it with ease, not so much as flinching.

"I knew you were going to do that. You can't surprise me." He bragged. Dani rolled her eyes, and looked at us.

"So, what's up?" She asked, curious.

"Actually, I'm glad you guys are here." I told them. "Because I need you to leave."

"Rude." Dani accused childishly. "Why?"

Skylar leapt forward, pinning her to the locker just like she had pinned me. Dani stared at her, wide-eyed and confused. "Because your presence compromises the mission!"

Dani and Oliver just stared at Skylar, confused. "Which is to, uh…go to the cafeteria to…" I tried to think of a decent lie, one that both of them would buy, "…get Gus some…"

"Toast!" Gus exclaimed, cutting me off. He grinned. "See, told you I liked it."

"Why can't he get it himself?" Oliver questioned.

"And seriously, would you get off me?" Dani demanded, looking at Skylar. She backed off, a sheepish smile on her face.

"Sorry." She apologized.

"Because he's too weak from the lack of toast." I explained, addressing Oliver's question. "And we're not going to leave him alone, not in this toast-less state!"

I shoved him and Dani in the direction of the cafeteria. "Okay, okay." Oliver finally agreed while his sister gave me an annoyed look. "We'll go. Stop pushing us."

The second they were out of earshot, I turned back to the others. "Alright, here's the plan; Clyde agreed to let us use The Domain for the party tonight. I'll keep the twins away until seven o'clock, while you guys set up and get the decorations ready."

"Ready for what?" Dani inquired as she and Oliver walked back over to us.

"Uh, ready for this!" I tried to poke her in the eyes too, but she, like Oliver, blocked it with a smile.

"Really Kaz?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow. I sighed in annoyance.

"Why are you still here?" I demanded. Did they not know how hard it was to plan a surprise party if the people the party is for won't leave?

"We just remembered, neither of us have any money." Oliver explained. Dani grimaced.

"Yeah, I kinda spent the what I had left on a new pair of cleats." Dani explained.

"It doesn't matter. I have toast right here." Gus assured them, pulling a piece of toast out of his backpack. He took a bite, then his face wrinkled in disgust. He spat out the large bite he'd taken. "You guys were right; I don't like toast."

"Class is about to start." Alivia warned us, checking the time on her phone.

"Catch you guys later." Skylar said before following Oliver and Gus towards the Home Ec room. Dani quickly grabbed her books out of her locker, then walked into the Spanish room. I went to follow her, but Alivia stopped me at the door.

"Okay, since this is for their birthday, presents? Yes or no?" She questioned.

"Up to the guest, I suppose." I decided. She smiled knowingly.

"You already got them something, didn't you?" She accused. I glanced inside, checking on Dani. She was near the back of the room, talking with Jordan.

"Yeah. Oliver's gift arrived yesterday, and my brother's going to drop Dani's off at The Domain later." I replied. "Hey, any chance you can handle the guest list?"

"Yeah, totally." The red-head replied. I grinned. This was going to be awesome.

 **Alivia's POV**

Things were going well, I thought. A few of the people I'd invited had already shown up, including some of The Domain's regular customers that Oliver and Dani like chatting with, a group of girls from the soccer team for Dani, and a bunch of kids from school. More would arrive later, when the party was about to begin. I mean, it was only 6:15 P.M., and the party wouldn't start until Kaz, Oliver, and Dani show up at 7.

I was currently gathering all the presents on a table to the left. Surprisingly, a number of people had brought small gifts, though I suspected that it was because many of them thought tonight was actually Oliver and Dani's birthday. My own gifts – a couple of comic books I'd brought with me from Bray that I thought they'd like – were sitting on top of the pile, while Kaz's presents were hidden away in the back. He'd insisted on it, saying that he really wanted them to be a surprise, and after seeing what they were, I didn't blame him.

The room actually looked pretty good. Skylar had done well with the decorations, including signs that said happy birthday, and streamers in both red (Dani's favorite color) and blue (Oliver's fave). Along with a stereo playing party music, she'd also set up a table full of snacks, filling it with both mini-wieners and tofu pops.

Gus arrived in the middle of us setting up, carrying some very weird looking balloons in his hands. "Gus, what are those?" Skylar questioned before I could.

"Balloons." He replied cheerfully. "You know, the very first balloons were air-filled pig bladders."

Not the right thing to say to the brunette. "I want this party to be great, and you brought pig bladders?"

"Of course not. What kind of a weirdo do you think I am? Pig bladders!" Gus assured her. "These are goat bladders."

"Put them over there, Gus." I pointed to a corner near the back of the room. He walked away smiling and I glanced at Skylar. "No one's even going to notice them."

"I just want tonight to be perfect." She stressed.

"For Oliver?" I said teasingly. She frowned.

"And Dani." She added, confused as to why I would only focus on Oliver.

"Of course." I shook my head. "And it will be amazing. They're going to love this."

"I hope so. It's my first time throwing a surprise party. Or birthday party, for that matter." She added. I nodded.

"Me too." I admitted. She looked at me, surprised. "I was homeschooled, so most of the kids I hung out with were the children of some of my dad's friends."

"Sounds lonely." She observed. I shook my head.

"Not as much as you'd think. I met some really cool people." I replied, shrugging. I looked around and noticed that Wallace and Clyde were having some sort of meeting near the back of the room with a group of people. I eyed them wearily, unsure of what to make of it. I just hoped that they didn't ruin the party or anything.

"Something wrong?" Skylar asked. I looked back at her.

"Uh, no. I just think…pretty sure I saw that dude tenting a house down the street from mine." I said. "I'm just worried that he's here because of some sort of bug problem."

"What?" Skylar demanded, once again worrying about how this would affect the party. I patted her shoulder.

"Look, I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe they're friends." I assured her before taking my phone and looking over the checklist. Invite people? Check. Decorations? Check. Cake? "Shoot."

"What?" Skylar questioned.

"Cake." I muttered. I grabbed my purse off the present table. "I'll be back in, like, half an hour. I just gotta go get a cake for the twins. They like chocolate, right?"

"Actually, I think Dani prefers vanilla." Skylar said thoughtfully. I nodded.

"Okay, I'll get half and half." I decided. "You stay here, make sure everything's okay. Call me if something happens. Anything, got it?"

"Just make sure you're back before seven." She called as I raced out the door.

 **Kaz' POV**

"Alright Clone Master, I just need you to sign these discharge papers, and you're good to go." I announced, handing the hero a bunch of papers. He was a tall man, with orange-ish, messy hair. He was skinny for a superhero, though Dani guessed that he hid his muscles with his lime green jacket that he always wore over a black shirt.

"Thank you." The man replied in a thick Irish accent. I chuckled – no wonder he was Alivia's favorite hero. Hometown pride, I guessed. Or well, home-country, since I didn't know where in Ireland he was from. He was about to sign when his phone rang. "Gem?"

I walked away as he began to speak with his sidekick. One glance at the clock told me that it was a quarter to seven, meaning we had to leave soon.

Luckily, Dani and Oliver were easy to find, as they were both talking to Surge. "As far as I can tell, you're in a complete state of shock." Oliver told the superhero as red electricity flashed across his black vest. "So, you're back to normal, Surge."

"Ugh, phone's dead." I complained as I walked over to them. Surge looked at me, then grabbed my phone for a quick second. When he let go, the device had a full charge. I grinned. "Thanks dude." I fist-bumped him. Not a great idea, since it did shock my hand.

"Hey, guys," I put my arms around the twins' shoulders, leading them away, "it's 6:45. We should go The Domain."

Both of them stopped, looking at me in confusion. "Why? We're working here." Oliver reminded me.

"We have to go because…" I should really think of my lies ahead of time. "The Domain is having a promotion tonight for the new Tecton movie."

"Oh, Tecton's Tactical Takedown Two?" Dani asked, grinning. I knew she'd been hoping to go see it in theatres.

"Yeah, The Domain's giving away two tickets to Tecton's Tactical Takedown Two for the two tardiest teenagers tonight. It's a Two for Tardy Tuesday."

I tried to grab them and pull them with me, but they stood their ground. "First of all, why would Wallace and Clyde do that?"

"To reward tardiness." I insisted.

"And second of all, why would the three of us want two free tickets? Then one of has to either stay behind or pay for their own, and that's not fair to whoever draws the short straw." Dani told me.

"Why don't you go on ahead?" Oliver suggested. Dani nodded in agreement.

"You have to come with me." I pleaded with them. "It won't be the same without you guys. You know," I tried a different tactic – guilt, "we only have so many years left to do these things together, and one day, you guys are going to wake up, old and alone, and say to your robotic nursemaids Sheila-X99 and Eric-X72, 'I would have loved to go to the Domain with Kaz more often', and then they'll say 'what is love?', because they're robots. They fell nothing."

Dani and Oliver were always the more emotional of the two, so as expected, tears sprang to their eyes. "Fine, we'll go." Oliver whimpered. I put my arms around them and led them to the door, but before it had even opened completely, another door, this one metal and without a doorknob, slid down from the ceiling, blocking our exit.

An alarm began to blare, startling all the people in the room. "What's going on?" Dani demanded as Horace burst into the room.

"The hospital's gone into lockdown!" He explained. "Either someone is trying to break into Mighty Med, or it's a false alarm. Or I forgot to pay the alarm company, or the false alarm company."

"Well, how long are we going to be stuck here?" I demanded.

"Oh, we just need to wait for the system to reset itself. Shouldn't take more than five minutes." He assured me. "Unless it takes a week."

 **Alivia's POV**

"I'm back!" I announced, walking into The Domain, the cake box in my hands. Jordan helped me clear a space on the food table and I set it down, smiling at the red and blue colored words that read 'Happy Birthday, Oliver and Dani'.

"They should be here in five minutes." Skylar warned, turning off the music that had been playing. She cleared her throat before addressing the large group of people who'd come. "Alright, people! We've only got one chance to get this right!"

Skylar stopped, noticing that McKenna was still talking with her boyfriend. "Are you not listening to me, McKenna?" Skylar slapped the celery stick out of her hand before turning back to the crowd. "Not let's get into positions and practice Operation Surprise Dani and Oliver."

"Skylar, relax. It's going to be fine." I told her. Gus nodded.

"Yeah, and why do we need to practice?" He questioned, confused. "How hard is it? They walk in, and we yell 'Get them!'." Skylar glared at the boy, and he shrunk back, afraid. "Actually, you're right. We should practice."

"I'll pretend to be the twins." I offered, stepping outside the store. I waited a few seconds for them to hide, then pushed open the door.

"SURPRISE!" They shouted. The man I noticed earlier, the exterminator, stared at us in shock, a grin forming on his face.

"This whole thing was a trick to get me to come to my own surprise party?" He exclaimed, thrilled. We all looked at each other awkwardly. "It happened! It finally happened!"

"This isn't for you." Gus was the one who told him the disappointing news. "This is a party for my friends, Dani and Oliver. And you're not invited. All of us are, but not you."

"Gus." I tried to stop him, because the guy looked pissed, but the little weirdo wouldn't stop.

"Over here, yay! Over there, wan!" He continued. He smiled at the man. "But happy birthday."

I watched the man go back over to Wallace and Clyde, disheartened.

 **Kaz's POV**

I glanced at my phone, not happy when I saw the time. 7:05. We were supposed to be there five minutes ago, and it was about a fifteen-minute walk from the hospital to The Domain.

"Horace," I walked over to the main quickly, hoping he might be able to open the door for us, "you don't understand. We have to leave. Are you sure there's even a security threat?"

"It's hard to say. The system's very sensitive. It can triggered by any threat, no matter how small." He explained. "Sometimes, it's triggered by things that aren't even threats at all. Like a summer breeze, moths, or hateful words."

Alan burst into the room then, his sweater vest filled with holes. "A stupid summer breeze just blew a bunch of moths in!" He complained. "And they made holes in my favorite vest. I hate those moths!"

The alarm, which Horace had previously turned off, began to blare again. Horace sighed and left, presumably to go shut off the alarm. I turned around and walked over to Dani and Oliver, getting an idea.

"Hey, guys, I just figured out a way to get out of here so we can get to The Domain." I told them. Oliver shook his head.

"No, we should stay. I don't want to get in trouble." He told me. Dani looked at him, brushing the hair from her eyes.

"Actually, Ollie, I'm with Kaz on this one." She said. "I'm tired and the alarms are giving me a headache."

"Yeah, but Horace will have the alarms off soon. And besides, Solar Flare's making kettle corn." He told her. I looked past him to see that Solar Flare was indeed cooking kettle corn by using her powers to keep a fire going underneath a large metal pot.

"You have to come with us." I insisted. "It won't be the same without you. You know, we only have so many years left to do these things together-"

"Fine, I'll go." Oliver cried.

 **Xxx**

I knelt by the ventilation grate, unscrewing the bolts while Dani and Oliver kept watch. "I'm not so sure this is a good idea." Oliver told me, once again losing his nerve.

"Are you kidding me?" I demanded. "This is how my brother got out of jail! Also into jail."

"He has a point." Dani hummed. I nodded.

"No one will even know we're leaving." I assured him. I looked at Dani. "Ladies first."

She bent down to climb into the vent, but froze when we all heard Alan's voice. "Why are you leaving?"

I looked at Alan as Dani slowly sat down outside the vent. "We're not leaving." I lied as I gave the short-haired girl a hand up.

"Oh, is my Uncle Horace making you clean out the ventilation system?" Alan inquired. Perfect!

"Yes!" "No!" "Yes." We all replied at the same time.

"No!" "Yes!" "No!" We tried again. We eventually just settled on going in between.

"Maybe?" We all said in unison. He looked at us.

"Okay, your story checks out." He told us. We exchanged looks, but didn't argue. "But watch your step. Nothing gets past me! Nothing!"

He adjusted his ruined sweater and walked past us, head held high. Dani shrugged and went to climb back into the vent, but Oliver spoke up first.

"Forget it. I'm not doing this." He told us. I looked at him.

"Yes, yes you are." I told him, frustrated. Dani was on board – though I knew going into this that she'd be the easiest one to convince – but Oliver kept refusing. "This is really important to me! So come on!"

I tried to grab him by the arm, but he pulled himself out of my reach. "No! I don't want to go. Stop pressuring me!" He shouted, having had enough. "All you ever do is think about yourself!"

Oliver may be my best friend, but some days, I just wanted to scream at him. "If you came with me, I think you'd be really _surprised_ how not true that is."

"Whoa, hey." Dani stood up. "I didn't know this was going to start a fight. I'd rather be stuck here than listen to you two scream at each other the whole way to The Domain."

"Dani." I stopped her. I looked at Oliver. "Look, fine. If you want to go ask Horace for permission, we'll go ask him. He's right through here." I gestured at the air vent.

Oliver looked at it, then at me, then walked away. I sighed. "Dani, could you please talk to him?"

"I…no." She shook her head. "Ollie's got a point. You're being a bit bossy."

"I'm not trying to be-" But she was already walking away. "It's just a false alarm! Nothing will happen!"

 **Xxx**

"Guys, listen to me!" I insisted, following the siblings into the main E.R. room. It was strangely empty, but I figured that everyone was down in the cafeteria or rec room, so I didn't pay it much attention. I hefted the large duffle bag onto my shoulder, grateful that we had one in the lost in found.

"We're not leaving, so drop it." Oliver snapped.

"I know, I know." I agreed, trying not to piss him off anymore. "And I'm sorry."

"Really?" Dani questioned, sitting down at her usual spot at the counters.

"I am. And I wrote you both a very sincere apology note." I told her. "It's in this duffle bag." I dropped the bag to the floor. "Why don't you guys climb in and read it?"

"Kaz, I know I'm not the greatest in school, but I ain't that stupid." Dani told me. Oliver nodded.

"You will do anything to get your way, won't you?" He questioned. "You are so selfish."

"I know, I know." I agreed. "I know I have been in the past, but that's why I bought you this." I pulled plan B out of my pocket. "Smell it, it's cologne."

"A cologne called anesthesia?" Oliver asked skeptically. I gulped, realizing I'd forgotten to take off the label.

"It's pronounced Anastasia." I lied.

"This so sad, it's actually funny." Oliver commented.

"Hey Horace, where is everyone?" Dani asked suddenly as Horace walked into the room. Immediately, I could tell something was off. His skin was so pale it actually looked grey, and his eyes were wide open and unblinking.

"You have not been absorbed. You must be absorbed." He said, his voice echoing in a strange fashion.

"Hey, you notice anything different about Horace?" Oliver questioned, our argument forgotten. I nodded, frowning.

"Yeah, has he always had that little beard?" I wondered.

"You must serve Revengance." Come to think about it, his voice was devoid of all emotion, very unusual for him. "He will be your master."

We backed away from him as he started to advance on us. Dani quickly slid out of her seat and went the long way around the counter to meet us, her eyes focused on Horace. "Dani, Kaz, you guys remember the supervillain Revengance?" Oliver questioned.

"Yep. This is probably why there was a lockdown. Revengance is trying to sneak into Mighty Med." Dani agreed.

"I think he already has. But how'd he get in?" I questioned. Oliver stopped and looked at me.

"He got in when you opened the vent." He accused. "And now he's taken control of Horace."

"But that's impossible!" I protested. "Revengance was disembodied. He's just a black cloud now. I don't see any black clouds around here."

As if on cue, a black, misty cloud flew into the room, hovering above our heads. "I can not catch a break today!" I exclaimed in frustration.

By now, more of Mighty Med's staff came stumbling into the room, moving around like brainless zombies. To my shock, it wasn't just staff either. Superheroes like Solar Flare and Clone Master also appeared to be Revengance's puppets.

Oliver, Dani, and I fled the room, racing down the halls in an attempt to get away from them.

 **Alivia's POV**

"7:45…where are you guys?" I muttered, checking my phone. No new messages. I'd tried calling Kaz a few times, but it appeared that his phone was either off, dead, or unable to get service.

"Where are Kaz, Dani, and Oliver?" Skylar stressed, pacing the room. "Everyone already wants to leave! I can't let my first surprise party fail! We have to do something!"

"I'm sure they'll be here any minute." Gus promised her. "But, we can start with party games."

"Like what? Pin the Tail on the Donkey?" I suggested. Gus considered it.

"What about Duck, Duck, Goose?" He offered. "I've got two ducks in my backpack. I'll go get a goose."

Skylar stopped him. "They're teenagers; they don't care about party games. They care about self-preservation."

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning.

"This." Two guys went to leave, but she glared at them furiously, stopping them in their path. "Nobody leaves, or I will snap you like a wishbone! Now go hide!"

"You've got a real violent streak." Gus observed before grinning. "I dig it."

Skylar looked at him, really weirded out. Bored, I glanced over at Wallace and Clyde's little meeting. It looked like the exterminator was ticked off at everyone, and they were having trouble calming him down. They all cheered about something, then stormed out of the building. Wallace and Clyde followed them.

"What was that about?" Gus wondered. I frowned.

"I don't think we want to know." I replied before pulling out my phone, while he went to lock the door to ensure the uninvited people (including Wallace and Clyde) did not come back in. Once again, I reached voicemail. I sighed.

"Where are you? Why aren't you answering your phone?" I questioned, leaving a message. "Call me back, okay?"

 **Kaz's POV**

After a while, we all got bored of hiding out in one of the unused hospital rooms. Dani had an idea how we could sneak into the E.R. without the zombies trying to kill us or absorb us or whatever, so we decided to try it out.

After a few minutes of standing in the E.R. without anyone coming after us, I grinned. "Good idea, Dee." I commented as we watched the zombies push the counters and computer desks to the side of the room.

"Yeah. Looks like pretending to be drones is working." Oliver agreed. Dani smiled briefly, still standing like the zombies were.

"I have to hand it to these mindless freaks; they have an eye for design. This room looks so much more inviting." I commented.

"We have to stop Revengance before he rises again." Dani murmured. I nodded.

"I have a plan. Follow me." I walked out into the middle of the E.R. walking in the same way the drones were. We walked past them until we reached the other end of the room, where we ducked behind one of the desks.

"Alan?" Dani frowned, looking at the boy who was hiding underneath the desk. "You're safe? Wow, nice hiding spot."

"I'm not hiding! This is where I nap." He retorted, climbing out and kneeling next to us. A group of zombie staff were standing in the middle of the room. "What's going on?"

"Revengance has broken into the hospital and has turned everyone into drones. He's trying to find the plutonic reactor, so he can use it to turn himself human again." Oliver explained as he quickly as he could. I watched as the staff members lied down on the floor.

"That's impossible. There's no way to access it unless he's gathered all nine Mighty Med administrators." Alan blew it off.

"You mean them?" Dani asked, gesturing at the group of people, Horace standing in the middle of them. Alan nodded.

"Each of them has been implanted with one part of the access code." The black-haired boy explained. "But they'd have to be in a specific formation that only my Uncle Horace knows."

"You mean that specific formation?" Dani questioned again, gesturing. All the administrators were lying down in different angles, their bodies forming the outline of a giant M. The black smoke cloud formed above them, then began to spread.

"We have to stop Revengance before he returns to his physical form." Oliver said.

"You mean that physical form?" Well, Dani was on a roll for pointing out the obvious to people. Revengance was

"How do you stop a cloud?" Alan questioned, skeptical that it could be done. Luckily, Oliver was always good for a plan.

"By creating a vacuum!" He exclaimed. "It's simple meteorology?"

"It's what?" Dani demanded, confused. He ignored her.

"We can use the hospital air conditioning system to create a cold front, then turn on the sterilizing equipment to create pockets of warm air, resulting in a low pressure system-"

"Or we can just use this vacuum, Oliver." Alan suggested, standing near a very large vacuum cleaner. Dani smirked.

"And this is why I like him. He takes your over complicated ideas, and simplifies them." She announced. Oliver glared at her.

"You're siding with him now?" He questioned.

"What are you mad at me for?" She retorted. He sighed.

"I'm just in a bad place right now." He replied apologetically. I ignored them both and ran forward, grabbing end of the vacuum cleaner. Alan took the front and we each grabbed hold of the hose, helping him.

I hit the on switch and the vacuum began to suck at the air. The cloud drew closer to us, but it didn't seem to be disappearing into the vacuum's hose. "It's not working! He's too powerful!" Alan exclaimed.

"We need more power!" Dani shouted at me. I glanced around the room, trying to see if there was anything that would work. My gaze rested in Surge, who was one of the drones standing around. "Yes! Surge!" I grabbed his hand, ignoring the electrical charge that dug into my hand, and placed the plug in his palm.

Alan, meanwhile, held the hose higher, this time managing to pull the cloud in. "We've got a fighter!" He announced. Dani and Oliver increased their efforts to help him, holding onto the hose as if their lives depended on it.

After a few moments, they managed to suck Revengance into the vacuum. The moment he was inside, all the drones (or former-drones) looked around in confusion.

"We did it!" I exclaimed. We all exchanged high-fives, including Alan, who looked pretty surprised to be included. "That was an awesome idea, Alan!"

"I've never been part of a team before." He mentioned. He thought about it, then made a face. "I don't like it."

We watched him walk away, while Horace tried to make sense of the situation. "There can only be one reason all nine Mighty Med administrators would be here." He said as they got to their feet. "To limbo!"

He pulled a large limbo stick out of nowhere, and one of the staff members turned on music. They began to dance around and do the limbo, while we stared.

"This is the weirdest work place ever." Dani decided. I nodded.

"I'm tired. You know what I could go for?" I smiled at them. "A nice fourteen block walk through a bad neighborhood to The Domain."

Dani let out a frustrated groan, while Oliver glared at me.

"Enough!" Dani shouted. "We don't want to go!"

"Why is everything always about what you want?" Oliver demanded. I looked at him, actually a little hurt. "You know, all the time, I'm always thinking 'what can I do for Kaz?', 'what can I do to cheer him up?'-"

"Don't forget 'how can I dislodge his head from that banister?'" Dani added.

"One time." I retorted.

"Try three." She corrected.

"When's the last time you did anything for either of us?" Oliver questioned. I looked at him. Enough was enough.

"Actually, pretty recently." I replied.

"Oh, really? Like when?" Oliver didn't believe me. I nodded.

"When I threw you a birthday party at The Domain. Tonight." Their confident smirks faded. "Three months early, so I could surprise you. And, uh, now I wish I never had."

"You-you threw us a surprise party?" Oliver stared. I nodded and he sighed. "So that's why you were bossing us around and tried to knock me unconscious with fake cologne. Because you care about us. And we just yelled at you all day."

"You yelled. I just got really annoyed at him." Dani corrected. "But I still think we just won the award the worst best friends ever."

"I feel terrible." Oliver told me. Dani nodded.

"Forgive us?" She asked hopefully. I considered it.

"Nope." I decided. I knew how they could be, and I figured they'd eventually try to bribe me into forgiving them. Not that I'd take the bribe, but it sure would be amusing to see.

"But Kaz," Dani batted her eyes at me, the green orbs going watery, "we only have a few years left to spend together and one day, you're going to wake up, old and alone-"

"Fine, I forgive you!" I cried, immediately pulling her in for a hug. I guess that little trick went both ways, and it did suck to think that one day, it might be possible that I wouldn't have either of them in my life.

 **Xxx**

"We're here!" I shouted as we burst through the door. To my disappointment, the only people left in the store were Skylar and Alivia. Both girls were sitting on the steps, looking completely bored out their minds.

"Where have you been? The party was a disaster!" Skylar exclaimed upon seeing us.

"There was a lo…" I stopped, remembering that Alivia was in the room, "…lot of traffic."

"Traffic, really?" Alivia sighed, getting up. "Well, here's what you missed: two ducks, a goose, a piñata filled with intestines instead of candy, and a lot of disappointed guests. Most of them left ages ago."

"Wait, why was there a piñata with intestines in it?" Oliver questioned. The girls exchanged looks.

"Gus." They replied at the same time. And truth be told, we didn't need any other explanation.

"Um, thanks for coming?" Dani laughed slightly, hugging both of them. "Really."

"You're welcome." "Hope you don't mind that we ate half your cake while we waited." They replied.

The twins both chuckled at that, glancing over at half vanilla and half chocolate birthday cake that was sitting on a nearby table. Most of it was gone, leaving only a few more pieces. "It's cool. It sucks that we were so late."

"I'll try again next time." I assured them. Everyone gave me an exasperated look.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I gotta go. My dad's outside." Alivia smiled at us apologetically. "Happy early birthday, and I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Totally." "Thanks." Dani and Oliver replied. Skylar also said good night, claiming that she had a school assignment she had to work on.

"Well, that sucked." I commented dryly.

"You tried your best." Oliver assured me. Dani nodded.

"It's the thought that counts." She agreed, walking over to the food table and popping a tofu pop in her mouth. "Yum."

"Oh!" I suddenly remembered something. "I got you guys gifts."

"You didn't have to; it's not even technically our birthday." Oliver reminded me. I nodded.

"I know, but I was surfing on Amazon and I saw, like, the perfect thing for you." I admitted, heading into the back room, where Alivia said she'd put the gifts. I came out carrying Oliver's, a box wrapped in pink wrapping paper.

"Pink, really?" He questioned, while Dani bit back a laugh. I nodded, smirking. He rolled his eyes, then slowly unwrapped the gift. "No way."

"Seriously?" Dani looked at the gift.

"You got me a Skylar Storm action figure!" Oliver grinned. I nodded, loving that smile on his face.

"Yeah, but uh…don't show her that. She might get a little weirded out." I told him. He nodded, not taking his eyes off the toy. I chuckled, then looked at Dani. "And for you…"

I stepped into the back room and quickly lifted Dani's gift out of the crate my brother had put it in and walked back out into the main room, carrying it in my arms.

Dani's eyes went wide the moment she laid eyes on it, while Oliver looked downright horrified. "You got me a kitty?" Dani rushed forward, scooping the grey and white kitten into her arms with a look of pure adoration.

"You got her a cat?" Oliver repeated her question, only with a little less excitement.

"Yeah…sorry bro." I told him, knowing he wasn't a fan of pets. But the look on Dani's face was totally worth it.

"Suck it, Ollie. I'm keeping him." Dani retorted.

"Her." I corrected, remembering what the lady at the pet store had said. "She doesn't have a name yet, either."

"…Katy." Dani grinned, petting the cat. The kitten didn't squirm much, instead looking around with big eyes. "I'm totally naming her Katy."

"If she used my room as a little box…" Oliver warned. Dani smirked.

"Then I will reward her by giving her treats." She replied sweetly. She looked at me. "Thank you, Kaz."

"It's no big deal." I shrugged it off. She rolled her eyes and kissed me on the cheek, just as Wallace and Clyde stormed into the room.

"Hey, what's with you two?" Oliver questioned, noticing their bad mood.

"Get out." Clyde growled. We exchanged looks.

"Okay…?" We started to leave, but then I remembered something else.

"No way am I leaving that cake behind!" I muttered, racing back inside for the desert. I heard Oliver and Dani laugh at me from outside, but I didn't particularly care. Because you don't leave cake behind, ever.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Not going to lie, had a little trouble with the ending. Anyway, tell me what you think. Seriously guys, I want some reviews. Good or bad, a review is motivation to continue writing, and maybe get you guys some more early chapters in the future. Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few weeks:**

 **May 29** **th** **– So You Think You Can Be a Sidekick**

 **June 5** **th** **– The Friend of my Friend is my Enemy**

 **June 12** **th** **– Atomic Blast From the Past**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, let me know what you guys think? Oh, and there was a subtle hint at an upcoming plotline – can anyone guess what it was? I know some people will pick up on it, others won't, so I'm curious to see who does.**


	9. So You Think You Can be a Sidekick

**Kihonne: Hey guys! I hope you're having a good weekend. I'm back with So You Think You Can Be a Sidekick? I think it's an interesting chapter if I do say so myself. Oh, and about the subtle hint from the last chapter. I think I made it a little TOO subtle, so sorry if you didn't notice it or not. I figured most people wouldn't, but I thought those who were accustomed to my writing style might notice it if they were paying close attention.**

 **Xxx**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: No problem. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to send them in. I'll answer as many as I can without spoiling the future. Both were good guesses, and the Clone Master one was close, but no.**

 **LabGirl2001: You're somewhat on the right track, but not quite there. It does have something to do with Alivia being suspicious of the exterminator. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **TheatreChristianManiac: I'm a little confused as to what you meant in your review. I mean, I think you meant Alivia (who's Irish, not Australia), but I'm not sure who/what Hem is? Did you mean Geminus? Either way, I guess you're going to have to wait and see.**

 **Aliqueen16: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you like this one just as much.**

 **Algernon: I'm glad you liked it. That's one of the reasons I like the show too – they really promote that message. You made a good guess about Clone Master and/or Geminus having something to do with the subplot. As for their relationship, you'll get your answers in this chapter. I'm glad you like Dani's softer side – it's sweet to write. Anyway, enjoy!**

 **Dream lighting: Well, Kaz and Dani do seem to be heading in that way. As for whether Oliver will end up with Skylar or an OC, right now I'm aiming more towards the Skylar side, but things could change. As for whether or not Dani will receive powers, she will eventually get her own abilities, though I don't want to say what they are.**

 **Avaoreo1112: You're right – writing each chapter would make it seem even slower. Thanks for thinking it was impressive – I actually got the impression from his initial behavior in the first episode. He was so desperate to catch Riker and Roman, and you could HEAR his voice shake with fear when he said 'None of us are safe with those two on the loose!' (bravo Bradley Steven Perry - that was incredible acting). I like looking for little things like that in a character – the more I understand a character's perspective on things, as well as his/her emotions, the easier it is for me to write them in character. As for me, the gymnastics events are my favorites too, though archery is a close second. It would be AMAZING if either of them showed up, because you're right about them being the biggest comic reliefs. Leo was always my favorite – he had so many hilarious one-liners and Tyrel saying them with a straight face made them even funnier – though Adam will always have a special place in my heart. The school year did seem to go by quickly – it feels as if just yesterday I was showing my kid brother around the school for his first year there. As for the subtle hint, you're so close it hurts. It did have something to do with Alivia. Don't worry about not getting it – I may have made it too subtle. If you wanted to go back and check, here's a hint: it has to do a bit with how I usually write the perspective of characters. I explain later (in the other author's note) though. Dani getting a kitten was just so she could have a pet, and Oliver said the line about being in a bad place in the show, though I'm still not sure why the writers felt the need to include it. By the way, Kieran says thanks for the birthday wishes. Yeah, Kieran from The Lab Assistant was named after him. Kieran really wanted a character in the story, though he wanted to be a bad guy, so I compromised with having him be one of Krane's soldiers. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Oliver: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, Geminus, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Dani's POV**

I looked over Tecton's chart one more time before looking up at the blonde man in the hospital gown. "All done. Go ahead and change." I let him know. He sighed, closing the curtains for a brief moment, then opening them again, revealing that he had switched into his orange and blue super suit. "Okay, so you seem perfectly healthy to me, so I don't see why you felt the need to come in."

"If all my tests are perfectly normal, why am I getting all these headaches?" Tecton questioned. I thought about it for a long moment, considering the possibilities.

"Anything stressful happening in your life?" I asked. He sighed.

"Only the crap with Jenn, and Megahertz escaping from Mighty Max Prison." He muttered.

"Sounds like you've got a lot on your tectonic plate." He looked at me, not getting the pun. "Never mind. So, what's going on with Jenn? I thought you broke up with her, like, two weeks ago."

"I did. Then she insisted we grab coffee and that she needed to tell me something important." He sighed, sitting down on a hospital bed for a moment. "You won't believe what she said."

"That she wants to get back together?" I guessed. He chuckled.

"Not exactly." He replied. "She's pregnant."

"Damn." I had not been expecting that. "Baby Tecton. Actually, that sounds adorable, and possibly very dangerous."

"I don't want a kid." He insisted. Kaz walked by as he said that.

"Wait, who's having a kid?" He questioned, looking at me.

"Tecton, apparently." I replied. Kaz gave him a sympathetic look.

"Ah. Good luck with that." He mentioned. Tecton sighed.

"Well, how am I supposed to deal with that, and my superhero duties? Especially now that Megahertz is on the loose again."

"You know what you need?" Kaz interrupted before I could give him some advice.

"A 'me' day?" Tecton guessed.

"No, a sidekick." Kaz insisted before grinning. "A sidekick could support you and be there at your beck and call."

To my surprise, Tecton considered it. "Sounds interesting." He admitted. "But I'd have to find the right person for the job. But who?"

Kaz smirked. "Someone loyal, someone brave…" He listed, obviously wanting to get chosen. He drew his arm back, accidently hitting a superhero's blaster. The blast ricocheted off the walls, bouncing everywhere, but Kaz was oblivious to the danger. "…someone acutely aware of their surroundings."

Suddenly, Ollie raced forward, pushing Kaz to the ground. I watched as the blast crashed into a metal cart, mere inches away from where Kaz was standing.

"Someone like him!" Tecton decided when he saw Ollie save Kaz' life. Both boys looked up at Tecton in confusion.

"How would you like to be my sidekick?" Tecton questioned, offering Ollie a hand up. Ollie accepted it and Tecton pulled him up, my brother literally being pulled off his feet by Tecton's strength before the hero set him down.

Ollie beamed at the idea. "Yes!" He exclaimed, completely ignoring me trying to silently tell him that it was a bad idea. "Totally!"

"Here we go." I muttered, shaking my head. Kaz looked at Tecton in despair.

"What? He gets to be your sidekick just because he saved me on time?" He demanded.

Suddenly, the ricocheting blast bounced back our way. I ducked out of harm's way, while Ollie tackled Kaz to the ground again. "Two times." Kaz corrected himself.

Tecton and Ollie merely smiled. I sighed, knowing that this wasn't going to go well.

 **Oliver's POV**

"So you're really going to be Tecton's sidekick?" My sister questioned skeptically as she walked past me, right over to where Mr. Marvel was being treated for an axe in the back.

"Yeah, why?" I replied, glancing at her before looking back at the clipboard in my hands. "You don't think it's a good idea?"

"Not really. I mean, it's hard enough to keep Mom from figuring out what we do afterschool, and this is a whole new set of responsibilities." She reasoned. "You sure you're good with that?"

"How hard can it be?" I replied. She shrugged one shoulder, agreeing with me.

"Alright, but is it really worth starting a fight with Kaz?" She added.

"Why would Kaz care if I was Tecton's sidekick?" I questioned, confused. She looked at me like I have three heads, then sighed.

"And they say I'm the dumb one." She muttered.

"You're not dumb." I said automatically. Dani chuckled at that.

"No, but compared to you? You're the straight A student, Ollie. Which is why I don't get how you can be so completely oblivious sometimes." She laughed lightly, amused. I was about to question what she meant by oblivious when Kaz walked in.

"Oh, it's Oliver, the sidekick!" He exclaimed in fake amusement. "Can somebody help me? I've been stabbed in the back!"

I rolled my eyes at his theatrics. "They should probably finish helping him first." I replied, gesturing at the hero on the gurney. The nurses helped him roll over, showing Kaz the giant axe stuck in the man's back.

"Yeah, well…my wound is deeper because it came from a friend." My best friend stated grumpily. He glared at me. "I can't believe you're going to be Tecton's sidekick. You know that's always been my lifelong dream."

"No, it's not." I retorted. Dani raised an eyebrow at me.

"Uh, yeah it is." She replied as Skylar walked into the room.

"Hey Oliver, I hear you're going to be Tecton's sidekick." She smiled at me before giving Kaz a sympathetic look. "You okay, Kaz? I know that's always been your lifelong dream."

Seriously? I looked at her, but she didn't seem to be trying to mess with me. "Why'd he even pick you? You don't even have any powers?"

"Neither do you, so that doesn't exactly help your case." Dani pointed out.

"And obviously, Tecton saw something in me." I insisted. "And I'm sorry, but I can't pass up with opportunity."

"Fine." Kaz raised his head up high. "Then I'm going to take the one thing that means the most to you."

He wrapped his arms around Skylar, but instead of trying to pull her away, he grabbed the two bottles of hand sanitizer that were sitting on the counter behind her. He walked away with them in his hands, heading for the door.

"Uh…Dee?" I watched him go. Dani sighed and pulled a bottle of hand sanitizer out of her bag. She tossed it to me.

"You are such a germ-a-phobe." She accused lightly before shouldering the bag. "You sure you want to do this whole sidekick thing?" I nodded without hesitation. "Alright. I'm gonna try and convince him to pick another lifelong goal."

"Thank Dani." I called after her as she walked out. I turned on my heel and headed towards Tecton, who was standing near another counter. "Hey Tecton, it's your sidekick, reporting for duty."

"Excellent." He nodded. "But first, you must be sworn in with the traditional oath of heroes, set forth by the elders of Galtrax. Repeat after me."

Wanting to prove how enthusiastic I was, I began reciting the oath, placing my fist over my heart. "I swear by the elders of Galtrax that I pledge my unending allegiance to aid and serve until evil and injustice have been eradicated from the universe." As I finished the oath, I turned to Tecton, suddenly getting an idea. "Should I say it in original Galtraxian? Afar bifen defar-"

"I'm good, thanks." Tecton stopped me.

"Zook graff." I replied. "So, what's my first assignment? Rescue a Normo in distress? Prevent the London bridge from falling down, falling down, falling down?"

"I need you to hand wash my uniforms." I really hadn't expected that reply. "Then go to my house and water my plants, then take my invisible dog to the invisible dog park."

"What? But those are just chores!" I protested. Tecton nodded.

"Yeah, what'd you think you were going to be doing?" He chuckled. "Battle super villains?"

Well, maybe not on the first day… "If you wanted someone to do your errands, why would you need someone brave?"

"You'll need to be brave to water my plants." He insisted. "They're man-eating plants. Also, feed my plants." He gave me a thumbs up as he walked out. I sighed, a little disheartened. Well, this wasn't how I expected today to go.

 **Dani's POV**

"I don't see why your lifelong dream can't be to become a superhero's sidekick." I sighed in exasperation as Kaz and I walked back into Mighty Med through the storage closet entrance. "I mean, why does it have to be Tecton?"

"Because Tecton's the coolest!" He insisted. My phone suddenly beeped. "Who texted you?"

"Liv. Wants to know what we're doing." I replied before sending a quick response.

 **To: Liv**

 **From: Dani**

 **K + O = arguing, trying to settle things.**

She responded rather quickly.

 **To: Dani**

 **From: Liv**

 **Want an excuse to bail?**

I smiled at the thought of getting out of here, but quickly responded in the negative. After all, I was needed here.

"She says hi." I mentioned to Kaz as Ollie walked into the room carrying a large garbage bag over his shoulder.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the thief of dreams." Kaz mused. "What's in the bag? A six-year old's wish to one day become an astronaut?"

Ollie gave him an annoyed and tired look. "It's Tecton's uniforms." He told us, clearly frustrated. "This job is horrible! All I do is his chores! This morning, I had to make his bed."

"Oh boo hoo." Kaz mocked, clearly not believing that it was a terrible task. Ollie raised an eyebrow.

"It's on the ceiling." He added. Kaz rolled his eyes.

"Don't like to make me less mad at you." He said. "There's no way that being Tecton's sidekick isn't the coolest thing ever."

"Oliver, Tecton's looking for you." Skylar announced, walking over to us. "He wants you to empty his waste basket. Oh, and be careful; it's radioactive waste."

"Wait, seriously?" I questioned. Skylar nodded.

"Wow. Being Tecton's sidekick really is horrible, and dangerous." Kaz realized. He grinned. "I feel so much better now."

"What am I going to do?" Ollie demanded. "Tecton's a great superhero, but he's ruining my life!"

"Well, technically, he should be ruining my life." Kaz reminded him. I sighed and looked at my brother.

"Look, if it's too much for you, you should quit." I advised. Kaz nodded in agreement.

"That's what I always do when I'm faced with adversity." He replied.

"What about perseverance?" Ollie asked, frowning. We both stared at him.

"Dude, who do you think we are?" "How long have you known me?" Kaz and I both questioned. Ollie shrugged partially.

"Besides, I can't quit." He insisted. "I took the Galtraxian Oath of Heroes. I am totally izelflarped."

I looked at him, aghast. "Language!" I snapped. Skylar sighed.

"I don't know why Tecton even wants a sidekick. They're the first thing a villain goes after to lure you into a trap." She told us. "I mean, it works out really well when you're trying to train future superheroes, but in general, it's more stress than it's worth."

"Wait, that's it." Kaz looked at Ollie. "The Oath of Heroes prevents you from quitting, but it doesn't prevent him from firing."

"Also known as the Loophole of Heroes." I added brightly.

"So, what's the plan?" Ollie questioned.

"All we have to do is make it look like you've been captured by a villain." Kaz decided. Skylar nodded.

"Then he'll see that having you work for him makes him vulnerable, and he'll fire you." She added.

"Or, you know, you could just pretend to be really bad at the job so he won't want to keep you around." I suggested. They all looked at me. "Never mind, that doesn't sound as fun or potential chaotic."

"Okay." Ollie nodded thoughtfully. "I hope this works, because I can't do his dirty work anymore. Yesterday, he made me clean his shower."

"Big deal?" I questioned skeptically.

"It's a meteor shower." My brother informed me. "It really hurts, even when you set the showerhead to gentle."

 **Oliver's POV**

"Hurry up, Ollie. I gotta go." Dani reminded me, adjusting her grip on her backpack. Skylar was still at Mighty Med, getting things ready for later, but since my sister had soccer practice and I needed to be out of Mighty Med and away from Tecton for a bit, Kaz and I figured we'd walk with her to The Domain.

"I just want to go over the plan with you one more time." I replied, double checking to make sure the store was indeed empty. It wasn't for Dani's sake that I wanted to go over it again – she had come up with most of the details, so I didn't doubt that she knew what she was doing – but things often sounded easier when it was said aloud.

"Kaz, Skylar, and I will tell Tecton that Megahertz captured you." Dani began. I nodded.

"Tecton will feel obligated to rescue me, but before he leaves-" I continued.

"You'll run in and say that you barely escaped." Kaz finished. "Then he'll see that you're a liability and get rid of you."

"Am I missing anything?" I asked, trying to think. Dani thought about it.

"Well, we have to remember to bring this back to Mighty Med with us later." Dani gestured at the Skylar Storm cardboard cutout. I looked at her and she sighed. "Skylar's been asking me if she can keep it ever since she saw it at our party. Says that she looks awesome."

"She does." I agreed. Dani chuckled lightly at that, amused.

"Look, Skylar and I were talking earlier, and she brought up a good point. Just telling Tecton won't be enough to convince him." Kaz told me.

"So, what do you want to do?" Dani asked. Kaz hesitated.

"Well, Skylar had an idea about mailing him Oliver's severed head, but I don't think that's going to work out all that well." He said. I looked at him, horrified. Why did Skylar want to cut off my head? "Long story short, she wasn't aware that they didn't grow back."

"What about…a news report? Like the ones on SNN?" Dani suggested. I nodded, smiling.

"That's a great idea." I agreed. Kaz considered it.

"I have an app on my phone that will help me piece together clips from past news reports, so I can make a fake one." He suggested before chuckling and pulling out his phone. "I was testing the app earlier this week. Check it out."

He then showed us a series of video clips put together. They didn't have the best transition between them, but the message was clear: 'I am Oliver and I like to smell dogs' butts.'

"What do you think?" Kaz grinned proudly.

"Could have been worse." Dani decided. Kaz smiled, pleased with her response.

"Okay, let's do that." I agreed. Dani nodded.

"Okay, you lay low for a while so that Tecton will notice that you're missing. We'll go find him as soon as my game is over." She told me. She started heading for the door, Kaz following behind her while laughing at his phone.

"Good luck!" I called after her. I hung around the Domain for a while, browsing through the comic books. It wasn't long before someone I actually knew walked in.

"Hello Oliver." Alivia's cheerful, Irish accent drew me away from the stack of comic books I was looking at. "Where are Kaz and Dani?"

"Soccer game." I replied. She nodded. "So, getting another Clone Master comic book?"

"I was actually looking for your sister." The red head replied sheepishly. I nodded. "I didn't mean that I don't like hanging out with you or anything – I do, actually – but I just needed her advice on something."

"Oh, anything I can help with?" I asked, trying to be helpful. She hesitated.

"It's uh…girl talk." She admitted. I raised an eyebrow.

"And you wanted to talk to my sister about it?" I questioned skeptically.

"I don't know any other girls aside from Connie, and God knows where she is." She shrugged. "I'm just…it's long distance relationship issue stuff. Jamie's upset that we can't see each other as much, and is being really clingy as a result and…" She sighed. "Relationships are hard, Oliver."

"Tell me about it." I chuckled, grabbing my phone. "Wanna go talk about it? I could do with a hot chocolate or something."

"Maybe hot dogs?" Alivia suggested, smiling hopefully. "I love hot dogs, but Dani always makes me feel guilty for eating meat in front of her."

"Hot dogs it is." I agreed, heading out of The Domain with her. We started walking down through the alley way, talking a bit. Then, a man in a black trench coat stepped out of the shadows, his big black hat failing to hide the cybernetics covering a portion of his face.

I recognized him as Megahertz immediately, and I backed up, startled. "Megahertz?" I hissed, shocked.

"You know another half-cyborg who can throw electricity?" Megahertz demanded.

"Who are you?" Alivia questioned. I looked at her, distraught. I'd completely forgotten than she was there. "What do you want?"

"I hear you're working for Tecton now." Megahertz snarled. Suddenly, a look of recognition crossed his face. "Hey, aren't you the kid who threw a bedpan at my head?"

"He threw a bedpan at your head?" Alivia looked surprised. "Is that why your face is all jacked?"

Wow, I couldn't think of a time that Alivia was ever mean or insulting to anyone, especially since she had no way of knowing that Megahertz was a supervillain.

"You're coming with me, kid." Megahertz told me, smiling cockily as he advanced on me.

"No one's going anywhere." Alivia retorted, her face hardening. "Certainly not with you."

"Liv, run." I hissed. I didn't want her to get involved in this, but she shook her head, standing her ground.

"No." She retorted. Megahertz rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to waste my time on you." He declared before firing a ball of red electricity at her. Alivia raised her arms to defend herself, but couldn't stop the complete force of the electricity. It knocked her clean off her feet, throwing her into a nearby brick wall. She hit the ground with a thud, and didn't move to get up.

"Alivia!" I shouted, but she didn't respond in the slightest. I turned to Megahertz, my heart beating wildly in my chest. "What are the chances of you accepting my apology and letting us go?"

He smiled cruelly, and I knew I had my answer.

 **Dani's POV**

"Why do we have to do all the work?" Kaz complained as he walked past Skylar and I, pushing a cart with a TV on it.

"We're not doing all the work. You are." I corrected teasingly. Skylar nodded.

"We agree." She added, briefly glancing at the cardboard cutout of herself that Kaz and I had brought from The Domain. "Man, I love this thing. Is it weird that she's my best friend?"

I shrugged before glancing at my phone. "What's wrong?" Kaz questioned as he pushed the TV into position. "Oliver not answering your texts or something."

"No…well, he isn't, but he tends to forget to check his messages, so I'm not worried. It's Liv. She left me a message earlier, something about wanting to chat, but every time I tried to call her back, I keep getting her voicemail."

"Her phone's probably dead or something." He replied, shrugging. "Or maybe she's hanging with Oliver. I mean, he's probably got his feet up somewhere, just hanging around."

 **Oliver's POV**

"Let me go!" I cried, struggling. Once we had gotten to his secret lair (a dirty looking, old power station overlooking the city) Megahertz had locked me up with my feet hanging from electric chains coming from the ceiling. Not only was I unable to touch the ground, but hanging upside down like this had to be one of the most uncomfortable positions ever. "The blood is rushing to my head!"

"Fine! Just stop whining! I'm supposed to be torturing you!" Megahertz finally agreed, pressing a button on his arm brace. The chains disappeared and I suddenly found myself falling to the ground. I hit the ground roughly, landing on my shoulder blade.

"Thank you." I grimaced, lying on my back.

 **Dani's POV**

It was a while before Tecton finally showed, but eventually, I caught sight of him walking through the halls towards us.

"Tecton!" I called the superhero over. "Have you heard the news?"

"Yeah, that annoying weird kid is dating a supermodel." He replied, vaguely gesturing in Alan's direction. I raised an eyebrow, not believing that for a second, but chose not to comment on it.

"No, this news is even more disturbing." Skylar told him. "Megahertz has abducted Oliver."

"We should check for updates on the all-too-real news." Kaz insisted. He turned on the TV, playing the news footage he'd put together.

" _Later in the broadcast, superhero summer wear – cape or no cape."_ The news lady announced. _"But first, details on Tecton's sidekick Oliver, who was abducted today."_

The footage quickly changed to the video Kaz had showed me earlier, the one of Oliver saying that he loved smelling dogs' butts.

"I wonder why they're showing that." Kaz chuckled nervously. "It's true, but hardly newsworthy."

"Please, you really expect me to believe this?" Tecton scoffed.

"We were hoping." I replied.

"I know what you're doing. You're trying to get Oliver fired because you're jealous that he gets to sweep my house…for landmines." Tecton told us before walking away. We all looked at each other.

"Well, that went well." Kaz commented dryly.

"I'll let Ollie know." I offered, sending my brother a quick text.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Sit." Megahertz ordered, pushing me towards the stairs near where I'd been hanging. I complied just as my phone, currently sitting on a nearby table, buzzed.

"It's Dani." Megahertz read the text. "According to this, your plan is off."

"Please let me go." I pleaded with him.

"Oh, I'll let you go." Megahertz assured me. "Once Tecton comes to rescue you and I destroy him by filling this room with his mortal weakness, Gargulon gas."

He hit a few buttons on my phone, then held it up to his ear, waiting. Eventually, someone on the other line must have picked up. "Tecton, it's Megahertz. I've abducted your sidekick."

He paused, listening. Whatever Tecton said, he didn't like very much. "This is Megahertz! And I suggest you show up at the old industrial power station at 9:00 tonight, if you want to see Oliver alive again."

He waited again, then let out a frustrated shout as he pulled the phone away from his ear. "He thinks I'm someone named Kaz! Who's named Kaz anyway? Seriously?"

"Well, your real name is Leslie." I pointed out.

"Zip it!" He shouted, shutting me up. I gulped nervously, thinking hard. If Tecton believed that the call was from Kaz, that meant that he didn't believe that I was in trouble. Which meant that no one was coming to save me. "Eventually, Tecton will realize you're missing and come looking for you. Then he'll step right into my trap."

Suddenly, Tecton's gauntlet began beeping consistently, the lights on it beginning to dim. "Uh, looks like your power level is low." I pointed out, thinking quickly. "I have an idea. How about you go plug yourself in and recharge, and I'll go get Tecton and tell him that you're looking for him."

I got up and tried to leave the room, hoping he's go for it, but no luck. The second I got near the middle of the room, a cage of red electricity appeared around me, sizzling and sparking. "Or, I could stay here in this cage of electricity."

He left me there and headed over to the side of the room, plugging into a device so that he could recharge his batteries. I waited a bit, wanting to make sure he was really asleep, then desperately tried to think of a way out of this.

Luckily, the place was a mess, and there were some old clothes hangers sitting on the ground nearby. It took a little work, but eventually I managed to pull them into the cage with me without getting electrocuted. "Man, for a guy with a limited wardrobe, he sure has a lot of coat hangers." I commented, glancing at the pile of clothes hangers.

Tying them together the best I could, I formed a long stick out of the hangers. Being extra careful not to touch the cage (the hangers were metal and if they touched the electric bars at all, then I would be toast), I slid the stick through the bars, extending it so that I could reach Megahertz. My phone was still in his hand, but if I could get to it, I could call for help.

After a few nerve-racking attempts, I managed to hook the end of the clothes hanger onto the case, and I pulled it towards me. I hit the first speed dial button I could, and waited for an answer.

" _Hey Ollie. What's up?"_ My sister, thank goodness.

"Dani, I've been captured by Megahertz. He's holding me prisoner." I hissed, trying not to wake the supervillain. To my surprise, my sister laughed.

" _Tecton didn't for it. Let it go, Ollie."_ She told me. She paused before speaking to someone else on her end. _"We are not sending him his head!"_

"I'm serious. Megahertz trapped me in an electrical cage." I insisted. "I'll show you."

I changed the call to a video chat and held the camera up to show them the cage and Megahertz.

" _You're not kidding."_ My sister realized.

"You need to hurry. Megahertz is almost done recharging his power source." I told her.

" _Ollie…cutting…barely hear…"_ The video started filling with static, the concerned faces of my friends becoming harder to see.

"The power grids must be interfering with my phone." I told them.

" _Power…course! The accident…Megahertz…cyborg…abandoned power station."_ Kaz said. I didn't catch some of it, but I caught the important stuff.

"Yes, that's where I am!" I encouraged.

" _We'll call Tecton."_ Skylar promised.

"No, wait! It's a trap!" I tried to warn them, but it was too late; my phone cut off midsentence. "No! Now my phone dies, really? But when Grandma's babbling on about how she picked out the perfect cantaloupe, full charge."

I just hoped that they could get here soon, and that they got the last part of my sentence.

 **Dani's POV**

"Ollie!" I smiled in relief after catching sight of my brother in the middle of the power station. Despite the fact that he was trapped in a really confining electric cage, he didn't appear to be harmed. "Guys, in here!"

I ran into the room, immediately slowing down when I saw that Megahertz was resting near the back of the room. "Thank goodness you're alright."

Ollie nodded at me, then looked at us. "What took you guys so long?"

"Are you kidding?" Kaz questioned. "We just sprinted six miles."

"Dani and I sprinted. You rode on my back." Skylar corrected.

"Tell me you guys didn't call Tecton." Ollie pleaded with us. For some reason, he didn't seem to have wanted us to do that.

"Don't worry; I left him a message, explaining that you were actually captured, and I told him to bring a tarp." Kaz assured him. My brother stared at him.

"Trap. Not tarp, trap." He exclaimed. "I said to tell him it was a trap."

"Oh." In hindsight, we should have realized that.

"I told you tarp didn't make any sense!" Skylar hissed at Kaz and I.

"In our defense, tarps can be very helpful." I defended the two of us. "Ask any wet baseball field."

Ollie sighed in defeat. "We've got to figure out a way to deactivate this cage." Skylar decided.

"You know what would come in handy right now?" Kaz questioned, looking at Ollie. "A tarp."

"Wait." My brother stopped him. "In the Tecton Trilogy, Tecton escaped from the Parasite's force field by rerouting its powers through a metal object."

"Like this rack." I had noticed a metal rack near the entrance, but had paid it no mind until now. I ran over to it and rolled it back. I looked at my brother. "Ready?"

He nodded and I pushed the rack into the electrical cage, making sure to step back before it made contact. The electricity flowed over the rack and Ollie climbed out from under it. Almost as soon as he was free, the cage itself disappeared, its energy having been drained.

"C'mom, let's get out of here before Megahertz powers back up." Skylar ordered, ushering us all towards the door. We had almost made it when we heard Megahertz' voice.

"Too late! Don't move!" The supervillain shouted, a ball of electricity appearing in his hands. "Where is Tecton?"

"Don't worry; he'll be here." Kaz assured him.

"Well, to make sure, I'll just have to send him another message." Megahertz tossed the ball between his hands. "This one written on your lifeless bodies."

"Not going to happen." A distinctively familiar voice announced. We all turned to see a tall, red-headed superhero walk into the room. She was lean, with pale skin, though it could have been the dark color of her outfit making it seem more white. She wore a pair of dark green pants and a sleeveless dark green shirt that only went down to just above her belly button, her outfit accented by a pair of lighter green boots and gloves, along with a matching superhero mask. But the mask did nothing to hide her identity from us.

"Alivia?" I demanded, staring at her. Her lips twitched upwards in a smile, but then she focused back on Megahertz.

"Megahertz, good to see you again." She mused. The cyborg rolled his eyes.

"Little Geminus. Didn't I kick your ass hard enough last time to get you to stay away?" He questioned. She laughed lightly.

"Nope." She replied, crossing her arms. Suddenly, her body appeared to change, twisting and splitting apart until there were three of her standing in front of us. "Bring it."

She didn't wait for Megahertz to reply, instead letting the duplicate on the right charge forward. Megahertz shot a blast of electricity at her. The redheaded hero ducked to avoid it, but didn't manage to avoid Megahertz punch to the face. She staggered back, but it seemed to be part of the plan, as the other two duplicates raced forward then, barreling right into Megahertz. They knocked the supervillain off his balance and through the window right next to him. He fell through, falling to the ground far below.

"Well, that was easy." The duplicate in the middle declared, smiling to herself proudly. We all just stared at her, stunned, not looking away even when Tecton flew in from outside. He looked around, obviously expecting a fight, but nodded appreciatively at Alivia/Geminus when he realized that she must have handled it.

"I came as soon as I got your message." He told us. "But it doesn't look like you need me or this tarp."

He handed the folded up tarp to Kaz, then walked up to the window to stand next to Geminus. He looked down and grimaced at what he saw. "That looks like it mega-hurts." He joked.

He turned to Alivia. "Nice work." He complimented her. "You showed true bravery. I'll make sure to mention this to Clone Master the next time I see him."

"Thank you." Alivia smiled proudly. He turned to my brother.

"Oliver, I know I asked you to be my sidekick, but I realize now that I don't need the help, so long as there are other superheroes in the world to help." He told me. "So I'm afraid that-"

"I'm fired?" Ollie guessed. Tecton nodded.

"I want to thank you, Oliver. Even though it seems like you were just doing busy work, you actually freed me up to prevent an asteroid from destroying the sun, so, in a way, by making my ceiling bed, you helped save humanity. Anyway, I now release you from the oath of heroes." He told me before flying out the window, presumably to deal with Megahertz.

"So…" I cleared my throat, turning to Alivia. "You got something you wanna tell us?"

 **Oliver's POV**

"So, basically, you've been Geminus this whole time and you never told us?" I questioned, taking a seat. Alivia had insisted on waiting until we got back to Mighty Med for her to tell us the truth, so we were now all relaxing in the rec room. Skylar And I took up the two seats in front of the TV, while Kaz and Dani were on the couch together, looking up at the Irish sidekick.

"Yes." She nodded. She sighed. "When you guys started working here at Mighty Med, the League of Heroes was concerned that a villain could capture one of you to learn the secrets of Mighty Med, and you wouldn't have powers to protect yourself. So, they decided that they would need someone to keep an eye on your guys."

"And they chose you." Dani commented. Geminus nodded.

"Yes. I'm the right age to fit in at your school, and with my abilities, I can watch all of you at once by being in more than one place at one time." She replied. "My job was to protect you guys."

"Since we've met you, we've been attacked by Brain Matter in his monster form, Crimson Demon, and Megahertz." Kaz pointed out.

"I said protecting you was my job, I didn't say I was good at it." The redhead insisted. "Anyway, that's why I came to Logan High in the first place."

"And why you became friends with us." Skylar added.

"No, I actually don't hate you. That's why I'm friend with you." Geminus replied, taking a seat net to Dani. My sister looked at her, then bumped her shoulder into her friend's, smiling to let her know that they were cool. "You guys mad?"

"Nah." "I actually think it's cool." Kaz and I replied. Skylar frowned.

"Wait." She stopped her. "Did you know that I was…"

"Skylar Storm?" Geminus nodded. "Yeah, but I couldn't give away my cover."

"Fair enough." Skylar nodded.

"Thanks for coming to save us." I told her. "Or, in original Galtraxian, kurbok fass. Kurbok fass to all of you, actually, for having my back."

"Zu karv." They all replied.

"Look, Oliver, I never should have gotten jealous of you becoming Tecton's sidekick." Kaz apologized to me. I looked at him, not having expected that. "It should have been me who he chose, so technically it should have been you that was jealous, so I forgive you, Oliver."

I sighed, shaking my head. "We don't need a superhero's sidekick. We're each other's sidekicks."

"Besides, the three of us are better off saving the people who save people rather than saving people." Dani added.

"Trademark that." Kaz told her, seriously. "Before someone beats you to it."

"Too late – I saw Horace walking around with that on a shirt earlier." Skylar pointed out.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: So, what did you guys think? Good, bad? What about those little reveals, especially the one about Geminus. Oh, and by the way, the hint from the last chapter was this: even in her head, Alivia was referring to Skylar by her real name. If she didn't already know who she was, she would have referred to her as Connie. Like I said, it was really subtle, and you only would have noticed it if you A, knew my writing style (I've done similar things with Leo and Dani's POV) and B, if you were looking for it. By the way, I have to commend IAMAGUEST and Algernon for predicting that Alivia was Geminus.**

 **Anyway, let me know what you guys thought. Seriously, I want more reviews! Here's the schedule for the next few weeks:**

 **June 5** **th** **– The Friend of My Friend is My Enemy**

 **June 12** **th** **\- Atomic Blast from The Past**

 **June 19** **th** **– Growing Pains**

 **Kihonne: Oh, and before anyone asks, because I know someone will, the 'Jamie' that Alivia mentioned is not an OC. It's the real name (well, the real name I came up with) of one of the superheroes that has been on the show at some point in the series. Since I think that Jamie's superhero identity will really catch you all off guard, I'm having a little contest. Anyone who can guess who Jamie is (maximum of three guesses a reviewer), I'll send you a special reward through a PM – another sneak peek at The Power of Seven. A little hint – look at the words I chose to use when discussing Jamie, and look at which types of words I avoided. It might give you a hint. Just a little incentive to try and get more reviews. Anyway, I'll see you all on Sunday.**


	10. The Friend of my Friend is My Enemy

**Kihonne: Alright, I'm back with the next chapter of The Days of Our Lives. Sorry for the lateness – I've been having issues uploading documents onto the site. I'm still having issues, but I think I found a way around it. It works for now, at least. Anyway, I'm glad you guys liked last week's chapter so much, and I hope you like this one just as much. Oh, and thank you to everyone who voted. Those who guessed correctly were contacted as quickly as possible, but I'd like to thank everyone for participating. I might have more little contests like that in the future, so if you didn't win this one, you might win the next. But first…**

 **Xxx**

 **Aliqueen16: I'm glad that you liked it, and that it caught you off guard. I like surprising readers like that.**

 **TheatreChristianManiac: Jamie's name was mentioned a few times when Alivia and Oliver were talking, just before Megahertz came after them. As for your guesses, I would like to point out that Chaz is a supervillain, and I believe that might be his real name too, so it's not him, nor is it Surge or Experion. But don't fret, only two people guessed correctly, and not knowing will make the surprise even cooler.**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: Well, I figured duplication was a good power to write. Makes her strong, but not so powerful that she overshadows the fact that a big theme in the show is standing up to those who are so much more powerful than you. The characters (with the exception of Barry, who is a couple of years older than them) are sophomores, as they should be fifteen at the moment. At least, according to the wikia, that's their age, and it works well with how I've aged the Lab Rats characters (I figure that by time Elite Force comes into play, all the Mighty Med characters will be 17, Chase and Calla will be 19, and Bree will be 20). You are right; there aren't many super-powered characters their age. I think the two youngest male superheroes are Surge and Spotlight (that really young looking hero that fought Skylar in How The Mighty Med Have Fallen? He's the only one I'm not one hundred percent sure of the name of), and they both look like they could be in their early twenties. Unfortunately, neither of your guesses were correct, though I guess that will make it even more surprising when you see who it is.**

 **LabGirl2001: Well, it makes me happy to hear how invested and excited people get about my stories. The character you mentioned is named Experion, by the way, and as you already know, I messaged you back about your final guess. Enjoy the chapter.**

 **Guest: I'm glad you like it. Enjoy!**

 **Algernon: I was hoping someone would pick up on it. I actually debated it for a while, whether I would refer to her as Skylar or Connie. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to put that hint in so early, since the original plan wasn't to reveal that Alivia was Geminus until the episode Mighty Mad. All your guesses were good, but unfortunately, none of them were correct. As for the 200 year old thing, while that is a good theory, Alivia really is only 15 years old. Though I love the clone theory – did you get that from The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People? Those are the only clone episodes that I remember, though it has been a really long time since I've watched the earlier seasons of the show, so I could be forgetting one. By the way, who's your favorite doctor? I'm torn between Matt Smith and Tom Baker, though David Tennant, Peter Capaldi, and Paul McGann will always have a special place in my heart. It sucks that your parents won't let you have account, but at least you've got a good friend who will let you borrow hers for things like this. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Avaoreo1112: I'm glad you enjoyed it, and that you were excited about it. She will have a big part in this story. As I said to one other reader, I'm using The Days of Our Lives as more of an origin story, and this will be the start of Alivia's long journey as Geminus. Where that journey will bring her, I can't say yet, but I think that you're going to find her character plots very interesting and unique (well, at least unique for one of my OCs). Not everyone realizes that archery's a big Olympic event, so don't feel bad. I just like it because I've recently taken up archery myself, and I've always loved heroes like Green Arrow and Hawkeye. I'm glad you liked how I compromised for Kieran's character. Thanks about Geminus' costume, by the way – I originally designed a bunch of different ones using an online character designer, then chose which one sounded better on paper. I'm sorry to say that your guess was incorrect, but I feel like you'll be pleasantly surprised by who Jaime is. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! As for why they couldn't know she was a superhero, Alivia was supposed to be undercover. No one was supposed to know – I'm going to go a little bit more into that in this chapter, so it might be a little more clear, but it's not the first time a superhero (I use the word hero loosely in this case) has gone undercover at the school. Remember Agent Blaylock?**

 **EmeraldTulip: Well, then you guessed right. Don't worry about not reviewing so often – believe me, I know how life can get in the way of fanfiction. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and you had good guesses. Spotlight does look to be in his late teens (if I had to guess, I'd say he was 19), so it wasn't that far out there, though I agree that many of the heroes are a lot older than Kaz and Oliver. It would have been nicer to see more heroes their age, or closer to their age, anyway.**

 **Running-with-the-stars: Thank you so much. Your kind words really made my day. Unfortunately, neither of your guesses were correct, but they were good ones.**

 **Guest: I know, I'm not happy with updating late either. For some reason, it kept refusing to let me upload documents, claiming that the file I was uploading had the incorrect file extension, when I know that it was correct. Still not sure what went wrong there, but I had to find a way to put the chapter into a completely different format before uploading. I'm not taking offense, truly. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Experion: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Oliver's POV**

"Morning Oliver." Alivia called to me as I walked into Mighty Med, waving at me slightly from her spot at the counter in front of Dani. Ever since she'd revealed that she was Geminus, she'd started hanging out with us at work, kinda like Skylar did. It was a little weird to see her in uniform so often, though it was pretty cool to be able to look on the SNN and see one of your best friends saving lives.

"Hey, you got up before me." My sister frowned at me. I nodded.

"You're observant today." I replied. She rolled her eyes.

"You're never up before me; most days, I have to wake you up when I get home from my morning jog." She pointed out.

"I had to get something." I told her.

"Like what?" Kaz questioned, walking over. I grinned, and pulled a loop of small pieces of coal out of my pocket, holding it out proudly.

"I made a friendship bracelet for Skylar." I announced. Their reactions were…well, what I expected.

"Congratulations. You are now officially a nine-year-old girl." Kaz told me, smirking, as Dani took the bracelet to examine.

"Ollie, I know I'm not one of those girls who like jewelry, but you do realize that these are coal, right?" She questioned, tossing it back to me.

"Well, I think it's cute." Alivia told her.

"Thank you, Alivia." I smiled at the red-head, taking the bracelet back from my sister. "And I'm not giving her coal, Dee."

"No?" My sister raised an eyebrow. I shook my head and walked over to The Crusher. After quickly explaining what I wanted, he nodded and took it in his hand, using all his force to crush the coal. When he opened his hand, the pressure had already done its work on the balls of coal, turning them into beautiful, gleaming diamonds.

"Thank you, Crusher." I told the man before bring the newly transformed bracelet over to them. "What do you think?"

"She'll love it." Alivia cooed, smiling.

"Why are you giving her this?" Kaz questioned, confused.

"Because I care about her, as a friend." I replied. "And if she happens to thank me with a giant hug and kiss, then so be it."

"Cool." Kaz nodded.

"Dani, what do you think?" I asked, but my sister wasn't paying attention.

"Mmm." She hummed pleasantly. "Who is that?"

Looking at the door, I could immediately tell exactly who she was talking about. The guy who'd just walked in was tall, with slick black hair. He was wearing a slim, red super suit, with a grey insignia that kinda looked like two sideways horseshoes with lightning bolts coming out of either end.

"That's Experion." Kaz grinned.

"I'm gonna go say hi." Dani decided, walking over to him. Alivia frowned.

"Experion…he's that hero from Caldera, right?" She questioned. Kaz nodded.

"He's the second coolest teenager in the universe." He agreed. We looked at him and he grinned, pointing at himself with his thumbs. "The coolest, of course, is Billy Fowler. Because he does this." He continued to point his thumbs at himself.

"Well, I think Dani would disagree about him being the second coolest." Alivia chuckled. My sister was chatting up Experion, a bright smile on her face and her hair brushed out of the way so she could show off her green eyes.

"Wow. He's so cool with his magnetic powers and ability to manipulate gravity. I wonder what he's doing here." I hummed.

"Experion?" I looked up at the sound of Skylar's voice. She was standing near the hallway, her mouth open in a wide grin. She back flipped over the counter separating the two, and rushed to hug him. "I can't believe it! It's so good to see you!"

I scowled, my attitude changing more and more with each second that they held onto each other for. "Look at him. Thins he's so amazing with his magnetic powers and ability to manipulate gravity. What's he doing here?"

"Uh…" Dani looked back at us, a little peeved at Experion for ignoring her in favor of Skylar. She coughed loudly, getting both heroes' attention. "Sorry. Dry throat."

"Uh, guys." Skylar stepped away from the tall superhero. "This is Experion. He's my best friend from my home planet, Caldera. We used to live next door to each other."

"Well, I'm Oliver." I introduced myself. "I'm her best friend from this planet. And I used to live next door to an Amenian deli."

"Worst four years of our lives." Dani made a face. She then smiled prettily at Experion. "I'm Dani, by the way. Dani Short. And you're Experion."

"I am." Experion chuckled, shaking her hand. When she didn't let go, Kaz stepped in.

"I'm Kaz, by the way." He told the guy, pulling Dani away. "And red head here is Geminus."

"Nice to meet you." Alivia smiled at him. He nodded at her before looking at Skylar.

"I heard you were ambushed by the Annihilator and lost your powers." He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But don't worry; I'll find a way to get them back for you, Sky."

"I'll restore your powers if it's the last thing I do." I intervened before Skylar could reply.

"That's nice." Experion told me before smiling back at Skylar. "But Skylar, I'm going to make it the first thing I do."

He began to lead her away, his arm on her shoulder, but Dani stopped them. "So, Experion, what are you doing here, anyway? I'm just asking, because it is a hospital." She mentioned.

"And more importantly, when are you leaving?" I added.

"As soon as I get these kidney stones taken care of." Experion replied. "I destroyed a deadly meteor, and a few pieces got stuck in my kidney."

"Wow." Dani beamed. "You have to tell me more about it."

"Or, we could, you know, go do our job." Kaz reminded her. She brushed him away, a dreamy look on her face.

"Well, I'll see you all later." Experion turned to Skylar. "C'mon cutie; let's go hang out."

"Awesome." Dani grinned. Experion looked at her, and she realized her misunderstanding. "Oh, her."

Skylar immediately began fell into a cartwheel and Experion instinctively grabbed her waist, allowing her movement to propel him into a similar acrobatic motion. Dani went to follow them, but Kaz stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

"If you follow them, I will mock you for it. Eternally." He warned her. She sighed.

"But he's…fine." She scowled. "But you're helping me with my next patient."

She dragged him away with her, though he wasn't struggling all that much. Alivia turned to me, a soft smile on her face. "Well, this is going to be an interesting week."

 **Alan's POV**

I was just putting the finishing touches on my masterpiece when Geminus walked in. The Irish sidekick had been hanging around here for a week, though she wasn't admitted for anything, so I assumed she'd made friends with those Normos.

"Hello Alan." She smiled brightly at me at first, then frowned in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"I created my own comic about the greatest superhero of all time." I announced proudly, standing up to show her. "Me."

"Really?" She took it from me, slowing scanning the pages. She read the title out loud. "'Awesome Man: The Adventures of the Not-At-All Awkward Superhero Who Everyone Respects'."

"What do you think?" I questioned hopefully. She hesitated.

"It's a…very unique title, Alan." She told me. I nodded, glad that she seemed to like it.

"Thanks, but the Mighty Med comic book company won't publish it because of some technicality." I continued as she read through it. "They say it's too horrible."

"Uh-huh." She hummed as she kept reading.

"So I decided I would self-publish and sell them in the Normo world." I informed her. "Uh, do you know where the Normos go to buy comics?"

"Well, Kaz, Oliver, and Dani go to The Domain, but Alan, you can't publish this." She told me. "It reveals every secret about Mighty Med."

I rolled my eyes. "Normos don't even know this place exists." I reminded her. "They'll think it's all fake. Besides, I changed some things." I took the comic book from her and opened it up to one of the pages. "See? I gave Kaz the head of a donkey, Dani looks like a milk cow, and Oliver has the body of a snail."

"First of all, Dani will kill you if she ever finds out about the cow thing. Second, you can't publish this. It's a bad idea." The red-head told me. She didn't give me a chance to respond either, instead grabbing a magazine off the table and heading back out of the room.

I glanced at my comic book, deciding that I was going to go with my gut rather than listen to the advice of some sidekick.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Uh, no. You're wrong." I insisted, looking at my sister.

"Am I?" She hummed in response. "Heroes run the risk of getting their capes caught in things, or being used against them by their enemies. There's a reason most heroes wear tight-fitting material like spandex."

"But they make the hero more aerodynamic." I pointed out. Dani rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, Ollie. We both know I'm right." She looked up as Kaz walked up to the counter. "Right Kaz?"

"I'm with Oliver." He told us without looking up. Dani gave him a pointed look while I smirked triumphantly.

"Hey guys." Skylar beamed at us, cartwheeling into the room. "So, what do you guys think of my friend, Expy? Isn't he just the best?"

"Yeah, you know what I like most about him? What's the word I'm looking for?" I pretended to think about it. "Oh, right. Nothing. I like nothing about him."

"Hey! Don't talk about him like that! You shut your filthy word maker!" Dani snapped. I gave her a look, trying to get her to be quiet and hoping her little crush wouldn't last for very long. Unfortunately, Dani didn't often fall for guys, but when she did, she fell hard.

"Oliver, how can you not like Experion? That's like not liking diarrhea!" Skylar exclaimed, shocked. Kaz, Dani, and I all looked at her, disgusted. She looked at us in confusion for a moment, before her face cleared and she explained. "On my planet, 'diarrhea' is the word for 'candy'."

Well, that made a little more sense. "If we ever visit your planet, remind me to bring a phrase book." Kaz told her.

"Look, I just don't trust him." I told Skylar sincerely. "I mean, he says you're 'besties' but he doesn't want to be your friend."

"Of course he does." Skylar frowned.

"Oh, sweetheart, no he doesn't." Alivia commented, walking past us. She leaned up against the counter, opening up a magazine. "He wants to be your boyfriend."

"What?" Skylar laughed. "We're just friends and nothing more."

"I hate to tell you, but no guy is friends with a girl unless he has a crush on her." I pointed out.

"That's ridiculous. We're friends and you don't have a crush on me." She said.

"Uh, right." I nodded quickly. "Ew, girls. Cooties."

 **Alan's POV**

Choosing to ignore Geminus' advice, I tracked down that comic book store that she'd mentioned from earlier. Luckily, it wasn't far, only a few blocks away from the secret entrance to Mighty Med.

I walked in purposefully, promising myself I wasn't going to leave until they agreed to put copies of my comic book on their shelves. "Good afternoon, fine human shopkeepers." I greeted the two men who appeared to be in charge of the store. They both looked identical – they even had the same haircuts, though the one on the left was wearing glasses and the one on the right was not. "I am a human comic book publisher, with a sure-fire human bestseller right here in my human hands."

"Look, we'd like to help you-" The one with the glasses began, only to be cut off by the one without.

"No, we wouldn't." He interrupted.

"Actually, he's right. We really wouldn't." The other one agreed.

"Well, I will not take 'no' for an answer." I declared, stopping them from making their escape. "So, will you read my comic book?"

"No." They both said in unison.

"Will you read my comic book?" I questioned.

"No." They both said again.

"Will you read my comic book?" I questioned.

"No." They both said again.

"Will you read my comic book?" I questioned.

"No." They both said again.

"Will you read my comic book?" I questioned.

"Wow, he really will not take no for an answer." The one with glasses realized.

"Will you take 'nyet' for an answer?" The other one asked.

"Nyet." I replied patiently.

"'Chigaimasu' for an answer?"

"Chigaimasu." I responded.

"Will you take…" He made a motion with his hands, signing the word 'no' in sign language, "…for an answer?"

I quickly signed my response back at him as young Normo boy, scrawny, a few inches shorter than me and wearing thick rimmed glasses, walked past me.

"Okay, look. Tell you what." The one with glasses pulled the kid over. "Why don't you discuss this with our newly-hired comic book consultant?" He told me.

"Yeah, Gus, read this kid's comic and tell us what you think." The one without glasses told the kid.

"What's in it for me?" Gus questioned.

"You get to ruthlessly judge someone." The one in glasses responded. Gus grinned.

"I'm in! You're ugly!" He exclaimed gleefully.

"No, not me! Him." The one with glasses snapped. "And that hurt my feelings."

"Yeah, he's doing the best he can with what he's got." His twin insisted before the two walked away. I turned to their comic book consultant.

"I should tell you now, I won't take no for an answer." I gave him the same warning I'd given the other two. He considered that.

"Will you take…" He then spoke in a foreign language, one I hadn't studied but had heard a few times around the hospital. I responded back in the same manned, giving him my response. He nodded thoughtfully. "Fair enough."

 **Oliver's POV**

"Alright, Citadel." I walked over to my latest patient, a superhero with skin made of indestructible metal, after grabbing a device out of a nearby cupboard. "Because of your impenetrable skin, I'll be using this highly sensitive, super-powerful stethoscope."

I put the two buds into my ears, immediately wincing in pain as a loud, high-pitched sound echoed in my ears. I reached for the controls on the device, turning its power down as far as it could go – it was still extremely powerful, but at least I wouldn't be able to hear people halfway across the world now. "This is so powerful, I just heard a pin drop; a bowling pin; in Honduras."

I brought the end of the device closer to Citadel, and even a foot away from him, I could hear the faint sound of his heartbeat. "That's better." I got closer so I could hear the heartbeat better, but instead heard the sound of someone talking.

"Is that Experion?" I frowned, recognizing the voice.

" _The plan is working perfectly."_ I heard him say. _"I'm going to sneak up on Skylar, and when she least expects it, choke her. She is going to die."_

My eyes widened in horror. "Oh no! I knew I couldn't trust him, but he's even worse than I thought!"

Suddenly, I heard something even more disturbing. "Ah!" I shouted, ripping the stethoscope's ear bus out of my ears. "This is terrible!"

Citadel looked at me, concerned. "I just heard Horace singing in the shower. He is butchering Beyonce!" I exclaimed. The hero chuckled lightly at that, amused.

 **Xxx**

"Ollie!" I stopped pacing when I heard Dani call my name. She was running towards me, Kaz, Skylar, and Alivia hot on her heels. "What's wrong?"

"Yeah, what's this emergency? I dropped everything to be here." Kaz insisted. "Which is really bad because I was holding my baby sister."

"Whom I luckily caught." Dani added. She looked at me. "Ollie, you should see her. She's adorable."

"And why did you text me to 'get black hair right now'?" Skylar demanded. I frowned before checking my text-history. I cursed silently.

"Sorry. Stupid auto-correct changed my worse. I meant 'get back here right now'." I explained.

"Oh, then I'm just going to keep this for myself." Skylar decided, pulling out a long, black wig.

"Look." I stopped her from walking away. "I overhead Experion, and you're right, he doesn't want to be your boyfriend." I told her.

"Well, I was wrong." Alivia sighed.

"He wants to be your ex-boyfriend, because he's going to kill you!" I finished. Skylar didn't believe me.

"Oliver, stop!" She snapped, upset. "Experion really cares about me. In fact, he's flying me back to my home planet. He think he's found a way to restore my powers."

"No, no!" I stopped her when she tried to storm off. "You can't leave with him! I heard him say he was going to choke you when you least expect it!"

"Enough!" Skylar shouted, furious. "I have to go. Experion arranged a full spa treatment for me a five o'clock. Maybe I'll get my new hair done." She pulled on the wig, then walked away, her head held high.

"Well, that could have gone better." Dani stated after a moment of silence.

"Experion's going to attack her during her spa treatment!" I realized. "She'll be lulled into a defenseless state once she's soaking her feet in herbal hot water, with warm wax on her hands, inhaling the aromatherapy eye pillow."

Kaz and Alivia both stared at me. "You know a crazy amount about spa treatments." Kaz commented.

"Mother-son-and-daughter bonding time. Don't judge me!" I muttered.

"It's not nearly as fun as it sounds." Dani commented dryly.

"It doesn't sound fun." Alivia replied.

"Exactly." My sister nodded.

"Experion has everyone fooled, but he's so two-faced, just like the two-faced villain in _The Crusher Returns._ " I said. Kaz chuckled.

"That guy had the best catchphrase." He smiled. Dani nodded, grinning.,

"'Why don't you say that to my face?'" She quoted. "'Or my other face!'"

"Wait! I have an idea!" I exclaimed, suddenly thinking of something. "I can use Skylar as bait to trick Experion into revealing his true villainous self."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Alivia questioned, frowning. "If Experion really is a villain, then you could be putting Skylar in a lot of danger."

"Another problem; how is she going to be your bait if she doesn't believe you?" Kaz added skeptically. I smirked.

"I know a way." I replied, looking at my sister. She frowned, and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

 **Xxx**

Experion walked into the rec room, looking around. Once he spotted the dark-haired girl sitting in the massage chair, facing the wall, he smiled and began to sneak closer to her.

He pulled a thin, gold chain out of his pocket and creeped up on her. The moment he was too close, about to choke her with the chain, I jumped out of the storage cupboard. "Aha!" I shouted as Dani pushed herself out of the chair, brushing the wig's hair behind her head.

"What the-" Experion looked my sister over, confused as to why she would be dressed in Skylar's uniform.

"Trying to strange Skylar, are you?" I accused. Dani looked at the chain, then at Experion.

"Wait, what?" Experion looked at us in confusion.

"Good luck with that; I'm not Skylar." She told him, crossing her arms.

"Uh, yeah, I know." He nodded. "You look nothing like her. She has chestnut brown hair with a pink streak and you have…black horse hair with a fruit strip in it."

Dani subconsciously played with the fruit stripped, blushing a bit in embarrassment. "It was the only wig I could find. Skylar had a wig, we borrowed it." I defended her. "I don't have easy access to wigs."

The doors to the rec room swung open and Skylar walked in. She stopped short when she saw Dani. "I can explain this." Dani laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head with a sheepish smile on her face.

"This should be good." The ex-superhero raised an eyebrow.

"We caught Experion trying to kill you." I told her. "And Kaz and Gem have the whole thing on Kaz's phone."

"Yeah, um…about that." Alivia and Kaz slipped out from behind the exercise equipment. "I forgot to hit the record button."

"Why don't we redo all that that?" Alivia smiled hopefully. Experion sighed and turned to Skylar.

"I don't know what they're talking about." He told her. I scoffed.

"Give it up! I heard you say you were going to choke her, and you're holding a chain!" I snapped.

"Oh, he's got you there." Kaz agreed.

"Yeah, I do have a chain." Experion held out the gold chain. "It's a 14-carat gold choker. It's a present."

"And the plot thickens!" Alivia hissed, amused. I gave her a look.

"But I heard you say 'she's going to die!'." I protested as he handed the gold choker to Skylar, the brunette smiling as she examined it.

"From excitement, after seeing the choker." Experion retorted, obviously annoyed with me.

"It's beautiful! I could just die." Skylar proved his point, beaming up at him.

"He did." Dani agreed. "You just got told."

"Will you all stop it?!" I snapped, glaring at my friends.

"Oliver, what is wrong with you?" Skylar turned on me. "I told you he wasn't trying to kill me."

"Or…was he trying to kill you with kindness?" I suggested.

"Just go." She ordered.

"Okay." I agreed, walking out. Dani, Kaz, and Alivia followed me out.

"Great plan, Ollie." My sister told me, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "If he is evil, there's no way she's ever going to believe us now."

 **Alan's POV**

After what seemed like forever, Gus finally came to find me. "So, I read your book, and I have to say…I loved it."

I grinned, overjoyed that at least someone appreciated my comic book. "That's fantastic!"

"I just have a few questions." Gus continued. I nodded. "Do the three blind mice have to be mice? Can they be ninjas instead?" I stared at him, confused. "And does the old woman have to live in a shoe? That doesn't feel very aspirational."

"…What are you talking about?" I was completely bewildered. What mice? What shoe?

"Your story." Gus replied. He held up a book that most definitely was not my comic book.

"What? You read the wrong thing!" I exclaimed, snatching the book from him. "This is a book of nursery rhymes."

"Fine." Gus sighed as I tossed the book away. "Then pitch me your idea, Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary."

"My comic is about a not-at-all-awkward superhero who works at a top-secret hospital called…Mighty Med." My last two words were drowned out by the two shopkeepers, who were using a very loud drill in the background. I looked at them, but since they stopped rather quickly, I didn't comment on it. "There, he toils under the reign of his far-less-attractive, bridge-loving uncle…Horace Diaz." My last two words were unable to be heard again, this time as a result of the loud blender that the store owners were using. I waited until they were finished, then continued. "And the twist is that the location of this top secret superhero hospital is actually inside…a real hospital!" Bagpipes this time! Seriously, what the heck? What was wrong with them?

"Sorry, no sale." Gus told me, to my utter disappointment. "The lead kid is kind of unlikable."

"Your face is kind of unlikable!" I retorted instinctively, offended by what he said. Me? Unlikable?

"Actually, I've been told I have a warm smile-" Gus said, but I cut him off.

"I said kind of unlikable!" I snapped before storming out of the building. This was why I didn't like Normos; they were all stupid and rude!

 **Oliver's POV**

"I give up." I decided, sighing in defeat. "I can't prove that Experion's evil; hell I don't even know for sure that he is evil."

"Maybe it's for the best. I mean, if he gets Skylar's powers back for her, that'll be a good thing." Dani told me, sitting down next to me. "Right?"

"Yeah, it will be. I'm just gonna miss, is all." I replied. My sister bumped shoulders with me, trying to be comforting.

"She'll come back. Skylar's not the type to forget her friends. Besides, every superhero wanders into Mighty Med at some point." She reminded me. "This won't be goodbye, not forever at least."

"You're right." I agreed, feeling a little better. "Thanks Dee."

"No prob." She replied as Alivia walked into the room.

"So, what do you think?" She asked nervously, fidgeting with her bracelet. "Date-worthy?"

I looked over her attire, a simple, strapless, dark green dress that ended just past her knees, accessorized with a black belt, black ballerina flats, and a gold bracelet. "I think Jamie's going to love it." I told her. She smiled, brushing down her dress.

"I hope so. You'd think me moving to the US would make dating easier, but it's been ages since we've both had a night off."

"The downside of dating a fellow superhero." Dani pointed out. Kaz walked in, checking things off a clipboard. He glanced up at Alivia.

"Looking good, Red." He complimented before glancing at me. "Hey, if you wanted to say goodbye to Skylar, I just saw her and Experion headed for the door."

"We should apologize." I decided, getting up. Dani nodded and lead the way into the ER. Kaz, Alivia, and I followed her.

Sure enough, Experion and Skylar were walking towards the door, their arms linked tightly. "Skylar." I called, jogging past Dani to meet up with them. They stopped suddenly. Experion faked a smile at us, but Skylar didn't even bother, her expression not a happy one. Which, I suppose, we deserved. "We wanted to say goodbye and apologize."

"To both of you." Alivia added. I nodded.

"Experion, I'm sorry for what I said about you," I told the taller boy, "and wrote about you in my feelings journal."

"He also drew a really mean picture of you in there-" Dani laughed.

"Hey! Stop reading my journal!" I snapped, annoyed. Neither her nor Kaz had any sense of privacy, especially when it came to my feelings journal. They just read it whenever they felt like it, even though they both knew how much it bothered me.

"Well, we really got to go." Experion told us, trying to pull Skylar away.

"Wait!" I stopped them, remembering something. I dug my hand into my pocket, feeling for the bracelet I'd made for Skylar. "Skylar, I'm really going to miss hanging out with you every day, so I got you a present to remember me by." I pulled out the diamond bracelet. "It's a friendship bracelet."

Skylar looked at me for a moment, then smiled brightly. "Diamonds? Aww." She looked at me straight in the eye. "I really prefer coal, but thank you."

Really? Damn. "Goodbye Skylar." I pulled her in for one last hug. "I hope you get your powers back."

"We really gotta go." Experion pulled Skylar back. I nodded.

"Take care of her, Experion." I told him.

"I will." He promised, they tried to leave again.

"Wait, shouldn't you be signing out?" Kaz reminded them.

"Oh…right." Experion nodded and they headed over to the sign-out sheet.

"I can't believe Skylar's really going back to her planet." Dani sighed.

"I can't believe you have her diamonds instead of coal." Kaz snorted in amusement. "Dude, you know nothing about women."

Both Dani and Alivia stared at him like he'd grown another head. Suddenly, what Skylar had said really clicked in my head. She'd said that she preferred coal, but in previous comics, that was the very thing that incapacitated her. It was one of her weaknesses. That meant…

"Something's wrong. Skylar's in danger!" I hissed to the others.

"Are you sure?" Alivia asked hesitantly. I nodded.

"She signaled me. I'll explain later." If Skylar realize was in trouble, then I didn't have time to explain everything now. "We've got to stop him."

Dani raced behind the counter and slid her hand underneath. Judging by the alarms that started to blare and the security bots that flew out from their holes in the walls, she must have hit the security button.

Experion, who'd been trying to leave, stopped when he heard the alarms. Skylar, on the other hand, leapt into action, cartwheeling away from Experion's grasp as the two security bots focused in one him. They shot laser after laser at him, though he managed to dodge their attacks.

"Skylar!" I hissed as she ducked behind the nearest counter to us. She knelt next to Alivia, a couple of feet away from where Kaz and I were hiding. Dani was stuck in the middle of the circle of counters, though since they protected her on all side from attacks, it wasn't such a bad thing. Skylar smiled at me from her hiding spot, grateful.

Meanwhile, Experion used his magnetic abilities to slam the two security bots together, the force of the impact destroying them in a fiery explosion.

"You think you can hide?" He called confidently, raising his hands. The counters began to rise off the ground, until they were floating near the ceiling. We all looked at each other as Experion used his abilities to destroy them.

Our gazes met, and he leapt into the air, heading straight for us. We moved instantly, rushing out of harm's way.

Kaz, Dani, Alivia, and I rushed to the side of the room, while Skylar took on Experion by herself. They both attacked each other, neither one pulling punches, but it didn't matter; they knew each other's moves too well for either to get the upper hand.

"Why aren't you helping?" I demanded, looking at Alivia. Her mouth was set in a thin line, her face expressionless.

"Experion stabbed her in the back; Skylar's going to want to be the one to defeat him." She said simply.

"But she can't defeat him, not like this anyway." I insisted.

"Experion's weaknesses…anyone remember what they are?" Dani questioned.

"Um…He can't see in the dark. No one from Caldera can." I pointed out.

"But then Skylar wouldn't be able to see either." Dani argued, wincing as Experion managed to kick Skylar into the wall.

"What about night vision goggles?" Kaz suggested as Experion tried to drop a shelf on top of Skylar. She managed to roll out of the way in time, but it was clear that she was beginning to lose steam. "There's got to be some here somewhere."

"We'll find them." Alivia told us. She suddenly split into four identical copies of herself. The four Alivias split up in search of the goggles while we watched the fight between Experion and Skylar continue. Skylar spun on one leg, aiming a kick at his head, but he managed to dodge it, grabbing her wrist at the last second. He flipped her over his shoulder, the momentum dropping her to the ground. She landed on her back, hard, but managed to recover from it quickly. She rolled back to her feet, landing in a fighting stance.

"Skylar, catch!" One of the Alivias shouted, tossing her a pair of night-vision goggles. The duplicate disappeared, as did two of the other ones as the real Alivia ran towards us, shoving night-vision goggles into our hands.

"Kaz, the lights!" I ordered. He hit the switch without a second's thought, the entire room going dark. The moment I pulled on the goggles, my vision was bathed in green. I could see Skylar and Experion standing in the middle of the room, Experion looking around in confusion as to why he couldn't see anything at all.

Skylar took advantage of his weakness, kicking him in the stomach. He swung at her blindly, but she grabbed his wrist, did a one-handed cartwheel, and wrapped her legs around his neck. She used her weight to bring him down to the ground, twisting so as to not hurt herself.

"Damn, remind me to get her to teach me that." Dani whispered, watching in excitement. Experion got to his feet and continued to swing at her, but he missed every time. Skylar landed a few really good punches and kicks to his gut, shoving him backwards until he was a couple of inches away from the wall.

Experion raised a hand and used his magnetic abilities to pull a large metal device towards them, intending for it to crash into her from behind.

"Skylar, look out!" Kaz shouted. Skylar looked behind her, then cartwheeled out of the machine's path. Experion, unable to see that she had moved, continued to pull the machine towards him, until it smashed right into him, crushing him against the wall.

We pulled off our night-vision goggles, and Kaz hit the lights, just as two of Mighty Med's security guards appeared.

"Take him away to Mighty Max." Alivia ordered. They pulled him away from the machine and walked him towards the center of the room.

Experion laughed nervously, glancing at Skylar. "So, uh…can we still be friends?" He asked hopefully. She gave him a disgusted look, but didn't answer. The guards dragged Experion away, heading towards Mighty Max Prison, where all the captured villains were held. As they did, a young woman with short blond hair – styled similarly to Dani's, but longer and without the bangs – walked in. She was wearing a black skirt and a golden, sleeveless top.

"Uh, what did I miss?" She questioned, watching the guards drag Experion away.

"Big fight, butts kicked, the usual." Alivia smiled brilliantly at the girl. She glanced at us. "Oh, these are those friends I was telling you about; Kaz, Oliver, Dani, and Skylar. Guys, this is my girlfriend, Jaime, AKA Spark."

"Cool." "Big fan." "Nice dress." "Nice to meet you." We all responded.

"Ready?" Spark held out her hand. Alivia took it, then glanced at us.

"You guys are good?" She checked.

"Go have fun." I encouraged. She smiled.

"See you tomorrow." She called over her shoulder as she and Spark walked away.

"Well, tonight's been interesting." Dani commented, referring to the Experion business. Skylar nodded.

"Thank you. You guys saved my life." She told us. "Thankfully you got my signal about the coal. Guess you know me better than I knew Experion."

She held out her arms for a hug, and I pushed Kaz out of my way so I could accept it. "That's what friends are for." I told her. I pulled away after a long moment. "And I'm sorry you won't be getting your powers back, but I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too." She replied, smiling. She looked around the room. "We should go – I don't want to get in the way of the cleaning crew."

"Wanna hang out?" I suggested. "Maybe we could go see a movie?"

"Sure." Dani smiled. I looked at her pointedly. "Oh, her."

"They're playing that new fantasy movie you were talking about." I said, remembering the movie trailer she'd be intrigued with.

"That sounds fun." Skylar smiled at me. I grinned. YES! "You guys coming?" NO!

"Nah, we're good." Thankfully, Dani had realized that I wanted to spend some alone time with Skylar. She glanced at Kaz. "Kaz and I were going to go check out that new X-Men movie."

"We are?" Kaz asked. Dani nodded. "Sweet!"

"See ya guys later." Dani mentioned as she and Kaz headed for the door. Skylar turned to me, smiling.

"You coming?" She asked. I nodded, grinning. Man, was I going to have a lot to write in my journal tonight.

 **Alan's POV**

After cooling down a bit, I decided that I was going to try one last time to get the Normos to sell my comic book. "Hello, fine human shopkeepers." I announced, walking back into The Domain. "I've decided to give you one last human chance to buy my comic book that takes place in…" They turned on the paper shredded, getting rid of a large poster board. "Mighty Med."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" The one with glasses asked, turning off the shredder.

"Will you buy my comic book?" I questioned. "And remember, I will not take 'no' for an answer."

"Will you take 'non' for an answer?" He asked.

"Non." I replied.

"Will you take 'hayir' for an answer?" He questioned.

"Hayir." I denied.

"'Hapana'?" He tried.

"Hapana." I retorted.

"'Nahim'?" Now, my patience was really wearing thing.

"Nahim!" I snapped.

"Look, kid, we're sorry, but we already found the next big thing." The guy with glasses told me. As it turns out, their 'next big thing' was just Gus turning those nursery rhymes into a comic book.

Annoyed, I went to leave, but not before discreetly placing my comic book on one of the shelves. Eventually, someone would go to purchase it, and the shopkeepers will realize that it was their next bestseller.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, what did you guys think? Good or bad? Or somewhere in between? I want to know what you guys think. Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few updates:**

 **June 19** **th** **– Atomic Blast From The Past**

 **June 26** **th** **– Growing Pains**

 **July 3** **rd** **– Night of the Living Nightmare**

 **Anyway, remember to review!**


	11. Atomic Blast From The Past

**Kihonne: The HIATUS is over! I'd apologize for the long wait, but to be honest, I was expecting to have to wait another month for the new laptop, so technically, I'm earlier than expected. Anyway, a new laptop means quicker updates, and more often. Which, I think you'll all enjoy very much. Anyway, I don't want to waste too much of your time babbling, so I'll get the shoutouts done quick, then straight onto the chapter.**

 **Xxx**

 **Aliqueen16: I'm glad you liked it.**

 **LabGirl2001: That was one of my favourite parts too. And yeah, maybe Kaz was a bit jelly. I hope you like the chapter.**

 **TheatreChristianManiac: I'm glad you liked it, though I can't blame you for being surprised by Alivia's sexuality. There aren't many LGBT OCs out there, or if there are I haven't ready many stories with them in them, but I feel like it adds a bit to her character's depth. As I explained in the author's note, I had no idea when I was going to be able to update again, not because of school, but because my laptop, which contained all of my story information, broke down suddenly and I couldn't afford a new laptop at that time. However, updates will be back on schedule now, if not a little faster than usual.**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: Don't worry about not realizing until later – not many people guessed. As for the actor/actress question, I'm going to be honest, I never have an actor/actress in mind when designing characters. I just don't. But, if I had to choose someone to play them, here they are: Dani – Lucy Hale, but with Willa Holland's haircut. Alivia – Galadriel Stineman. Barry – Kenton Duty. I wasn't really sure about any of them, except for Rhys' actor, to be honest. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **ElectroLord72: I'm glad you liked the chapter so much, especially the ending. I've actually been wanting to make a couple like them for a while, but Alivia and Spark are the first same-sex couple that have ever really clicked this well for me. I feel like they're a good balance for each other, and it's going to be fun writing them together. I won't, however, be doing the Sparks Fly chapter, since the whole pretending-to-be-dead-to-avoid-my-girlfriend isn't really Alivia's style, however, I will explore some of the themes in there, such as Spark's insecurity and jealousy. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Guest: Don't worry about it at all – I can totally understand the need to keep reading a story. I only get annoyed if the reviewer constantly tells me to update, or if they tell me to update before I'm even late with the chapter (seriously, I've had a reviewer complain about the lack of chapter the same day I was supposed to update), and you made it clear that you weren't trying to offend me, so it's okay, really. Technology sucks though – believe me, it's killing me.**

 **Algernon: I think they caught a fair bit of the people off-guard. And you're right – Spark's Fly isn't going to be happening, though I will keep some of the jealousy and possessiveness themes in future chapters. Every doctor is pretty special, and I've never been able to find one I didn't completely adore. I love the regenerations too. It's sad that we're losing a Doctor, but there's also that thrilling excitement of getting a new one at the same time. I honestly have no idea who the next Doctor will be, but I hope it's not a girl. Not because I don't think that the Doctor should be a woman at some point, but I have the feeling that Bill, the current companion, will stay past Capaldi's time, and I find it better when there's a guy and gal in the TARDIS, rather than two guys or two girls. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. As for the laptop, it's been faithful…sorta. It actually broke down at Christmas and I had to replace the hard-drive, so I knew that it was on it's last legs, but I was hoping that it would last until I got the new one. I'm just thankful that I handed in all my assignments first – it broke down with two weeks left of school.**

 **Guest: Jaime and Alivia are dating.**

 **Avaoreo1112: Believe me, I get it. I've had crazy weeks too. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, as well as Geminus' plotlines. Archery is fine – I've been practicing a lot in my spare time. You should try it – it's a lot of fun. I'm glad you liked the Jaime surprise, and that my explanation cleared things up. You're right – a new laptop does make up for a broken one. Thanks for understanding about the updates thing. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Warship005: Correct! You're the only one who mentioned it.**

 **Guest: I doubt that Elite Force will put them together – as much as I love the couple, DXD has never been too kind to our ships – but if they do, I'll work around it. After all, Bree and Chase both dated in the series (the former more than the latter) but I still worked it out with Jaden and Calla, so I'm sure I'll figure something out for Elite Force.**

 **Guest195703: I'm glad you love the story. To answer your question, the longest chapter of the Lab Assistant was Lab Rats VS Mighty Med with a grand total of 17,217 words in it. Most of the hour long episodes usually ran from about 15,000 to 17,000 words each.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Onto the story!**

 **Captain Atomic: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med! She only owns Dani, Barry, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Oliver's POV**

It was an average Sunday afternoon at Mighty Med – few heroes in the hospital, no emergencies in the world, and not even busy work to keep us occupied. And there was nobody around for me to talk to. Kaz was busy copying down my homework before Monday's class, and Dani's shift wasn't supposed to start for another five minutes. As for our favorite heroes, Skylar was at the mall, buying more Normo clothes so she wouldn't have to keep borrowing Dani's older stuff, and Alivia was in California with Clone Master, checking out some potential new superheroes. She had sounded interested in it, but Clone Master had questioned whether or not they would be a good fit, so they were just investigating them for now.

Eventually, that led me to the lost and found box that Horace kept under the counter. I figured, why not check out what's in there? I might find something interesting.

As it turns out, I was right. "This is so cool." I grinned, examining its contents.

"What is?" Dani inquired, walking up to the desk. I hadn't noticed her come back in, but she couldn't have been here long; she'd yet to change out of her red and black soccer uniform.

"All this stuff in the lost and found." I explained, pulling item after item out of it. "Kaz, check this out."

Kaz shrugged and walked around the counter to get a better view at the items. He glanced at them briefly before grabbing a sandwich I'd pulled out from the box and beginning to snack on it.

"Some of these things have been in here for decades." I commented, looking around at the lost items.

"Including that sandwich." My sister added, glancing at Kaz. He looked up at her then, after deciding that she wasn't trying to screw with him, turned around and spit out the large bite he'd taken.

"This is like digging through the history of Mighty Med!" I grinned.

"Boring." Kaz yawned mockingly. "I don't care about the past."

"Which explains why you failed our history test." I commented dryly.

"It was a hard test." Dani said quickly, trying to defend both her and Kaz's Fs.

"Actually, that's not why I failed." Kaz chuckled a bit. "I followed the wrong kids into the wrong classroom. But I did learn the French word for umbrella."

"What is it?" I asked, doubting that he actually learned anything from walking into the wrong class.

"I don't know. It was yesterday." He deadpanned. "I told you, I don't care about the past."

I rolled my eyes, then continued to dig through the box. "Look, Optimo's Dagger of Truth, the Shawl of Invisibility," I pushed the items out of the way and pulled out a white, rectangular box out. It was just a bit bigger than my hand, and the front was decorated with grey buttons and a small blank screen. "…this thing."

"Oliver?" Horace stopped next to Dani and took the device from me, examining it with a look of surprised awe on his face. "My goodness, a wormhole transporter! "I haven't seen one of these in years!"

"A what?" Dani frowned, brushing her bangs away from her face as she looked at Horace in confusion.

"A wormhole transporter." He repeated patiently. "In the 1950s, superheroes used these to reverse time by opening wormholes in space. But they were banned because every so often a hero would get lost in time, or explode into a million tiny pieces."

"That sounds messy." Dani commented, wrinkling her nose at the prospect. Horace nodded in agreement.

"I usually love confetti, but that…not so festive." He shuddered at the thought. Kaz glanced at me.

"Told you old things are lame." He mumbled.

"How could you think that's lame?" Both Dani and I turned on him.

"I was talking about Horace." Kaz explained, keeping his voice low in hopes that our boss wouldn't hear him. Then he looked at the device, taking it out of Horace's hands. "But this thing looks lame too. I bet it can't even take pictures."

He held it up and aimed the end with a circular film at an empty part of the building and pressed a button. It didn't take a picture, but instead, a glowing whitish-blue portal opened up before our eyes. A tall man wearing a very cliché blue uniform with red-striped boots, red gloves, and a red A on his chest jumped out from the portal seconds before it disappeared. We all stared at him, shocked.

"Jeepers!" He exclaimed, putting his hands on his hips. "Where am I?"

"Who is that and where did he come from?" Kaz demanded, stunned.

"I've seen him before, in some comic book." Dani hummed thoughtfully, trying to remember. But I knew who he was instantly.

"That's Captain Atomic!" I exclaimed.

"And I'd say he came from 1953." Horace added as Captain Atomic began to talk to some of the nearby doctors and nurses.

"1953?" Kaz repeated. "That was, like, a hundred years ago."

"Which explains why you also failed our math test." I sighed. Kaz looked at me, annoyed, then brushed it off.

"And who's Captain Atomic anyway? I've never heard of him." He continued.

"if Grandpa Peter didn't have all of his comics, I doubt we would know either." Dani assured him. "He also has really big earlobes."

We all looked at her, and she frowned. "What? We were talking about Grandpa Peter."

"Captain Atomic was wounded in World War 2 by a radioactive bullet, which should have penetrated his heart, but it was stopped by the lucky yoyo given to him by his best gal." Horace explained.

"The bullet turned him radioactive and the army fitted him with an experimental battery that keeps him alive. Him and his yoyo are atomically powered." I continued.

"So are my farts." Kaz pointed out. I looked at him. "No, they are. Ask my brothers."

"Where am I?" Captain Atomic demanded, walking over to us, his hands on his hips. "Five minutes ago I entered a wormhole to stop Professor Slime from enslaving the planet Malmarn."

"Unfortunately, you became trapped in that wormhole for decades." Horace broke the news to him. "And by the way, Malmarn is now called Slimemarn."

Captain Atomic nodded thoughtfully, processing the news.

"So, this is the future?" He asked slowly, looking around in amazement. He glanced at Horace, then did a double-take. "Wait, Horace Diaz, is that you?"

Horace grinned and offered Captain Atomic his hand, shaking it. "You knew him in the fifties? How old are you?" I questioned bluntly.

"A gentleman never asks; a lady never tells." Horace replied. Then, after a brief pause, "3006, in May."

"This place looks so different." Captain Atomic swept past us, his head craning to see as much of the room as he could at once. He stopped when he saw doctors Wendy Lincoln, Janet Dorey, and Lise Lalonde examining a patient. "Who are all these broads dressed as doctors?"

"They're doctors." Dani replied, raising an eyebrow. Much to her annoyance, he laughed at her.

"That is very amusing, Nurse…" He waited for her name. Dani crossed her arms.

"Doctor." She corrected. "Doctor Dani Short."

"A girl doctor! That's the craziest thing I've ever heard!" He bellowed with a smile. "Right, lizard-doctor?"

"It's not a joke, you sexis-" Kaz quickly covered Dani's mouth with his hand, preventing her from starting a fight with the hero. Though his reaction was understandable – women were greatly underrated in his time – Dani had always felt very strongly that women and men should be equal, and would take his views as a personal offense.

"What she means is, times have changed. Women are doctors now." Kaz explained quickly. "I'm Kaz, by the way, and this is Oliver."

"Huh." Captain Atomic hummed before walking over to the doctors.

"Ew!" Kaz exclaimed, pulling his hand away from Dani's mouth very quickly. Judging by the disgusted look on his face, and the wetness on his hand, she must have licked it.

"You do that again, I will bite you." Dani warned, glaring at him. He nodded.

"Kids." Horace pulled us a little farther away from Captain Atomic. "We have to open up another wormhole and get Captain Atomic back to his own time."

He held up the device and hit a button, but nothing happened. Horace frowned and looked at the device. "Huh, this wormhole transporter needs to be repaired. I'll go work on it."

"Right. We'll keep an eye on Captain Atomic." Kaz promised. Horace nodded and began to leave, but stopped after a second.

"Don't tell him how high gas prices are now. It'll kill him!" He warned us before disappearing down a nearby hallway.

"Cool!" I grinned as soon as he was gone. "We get to hang with Captain Atomic!"

"Don't you mean 'Lame-o McCheesy-tights'?" Kaz put his hands on his hips and deepened his voice to mock the radioactive hero. Dani laughed lightly at that, brightening up from her earlier annoyance.

"Are you kidding me, Kaz? Captain Atomic was the Tecton of his time! Look at his comic book!" I quickly searched up a picture of the cover on my phone and showed him the image that popped up. It featured two heroes, one in blue and red and the other in different shades of green, fighting each other. Just above them, the word 'ka-ploof' was written with an exclamation point.

"Ka-ploof?" Dani read. "What even makes that sound…"

She trailed off as two nurses pushed a gurney into the room. Solar Flare lay on top, unconscious. "What happened?" I demanded as Kaz grabbed her chart off the end of the gurney.

"The Black Falcon." Kaz replied, having gotten the information from her paperwork.

"Again?" Dani questioned. "That's, like, the third hero this week alone." She glanced at the chart in Kaz's room, then instructed the nurses on where to bring the injured hero.

"Well, that no-good nick is cruising for a bruising." Captain Atomic declared, having overheard us. "Have no fear, for when evil rears its ugly head, justice always prevails." I beamed up at him, recognizing one of his popular catchphrases. "Now, it's time to make like an atom, and split."

"Dude, seriously?" Kaz questioned, staring at him. Dani nodded.

"Captain Atomic, villains are a lot stronger than they used to be in your day." She began. I quickly stepped in.

"Don't listen to her. You can still mop the floor with any villain out there." I assured him. "Justice has no expiration date."

"Have no fear, young lad!" Captain Atomic announced. "No one can defeat me! Not with my trusted weapon, my atomic yoyo of victory! To the skies!"

We watched as he flew upwards, right into the ceiling. He crashed back down to the ground, pieces of the now broken ceiling hitting the ground beside him. "There used to be a skylight there." He commented.

 **Skylar's POV**

Normo shopping centers were strange. Back home, shopping wasn't a big deal – my people weren't naturally very materialistic – but here on Earth, it apparently seemed to be all the rage. And this mall was so massive, it was hard to figure out my way around.

I wished that Dani, Kaz, Oliver or Alivia had come with me, especially the latter two. Dani and Kaz didn't seem like they'd be fans of something like this, but Alivia had comments dozens of times about how much she loved this mall compared to the one in Bray, and Oliver clearly knew his way around town.

"There are way too many stores here." I muttered, looking around for a map or something.

"You look lost." I turned around to see Stephanie standing a few feet away from me, dozens of shopping bags in her hands.

"Uh, yeah." I admitted. She smirked, probably about to make a snarky response, but was quickly cut off by another one of our fellow students.

"Hey Connie! Stephanie!" We turned to see Barry and Gus walking over to us.

"Ah, my two favorite girls who don't pretend to be mannequins when I try to talk to them." Gus smiled pleasantly. Stephanie seemed to like that idea and immediately froze.

"Don't move." She hissed to Barry and I. "Its vision is based on movement."

"Stephanie." Barry said sternly. The girl gave him an annoyed look, but relaxed her tense arms.

"What's up, guys?" I smiled at them.

"I've decided to shoot a movie." Gus announced with a grin. "I was hoping you guys would want to be in it."

Stephanie and I both grinned at the prospect. That would be awesome! "What's it about?"

"We have no idea." Barry admitted. "I just need to do something for my senor project."

"You have no ideas?" I said incredulously. Gus shook his head.

"We're not very creative. That's why we're going into the movie business." Gus explained.

"We should do a movie about my face." Stephanie suggested, pushing me out of the way. "I'd totally go and see that."

"Wait!" A lightbulb went off in my head. "I have a not insane idea! We should make a movie that features a strong female lead character. Someone like…Skylar Storm!"

"The comic book superhero?" Barry questioned. "Dude, no one likes her anymore. Not since she lost her powers in her last comic book. The only person I know that still reads her stuff is Dani's brother."

"Yeah, she lost her powers to the Annihilator." Gus laughed. "He's not even that powerful."

Ticked off, I grabbed Gus by the front of his vest and shoved him into a nearby support column. "Oh yeah? I'd like to see you battle him, punk!" Gus looked at me, a little freaked. I took a deep breath, reminding myself where I was, and released him. "Look, there's never been a Skylar Storm movie and this will prove that she's still cool and still important."

"My little brother likes her comics." Stephanie offered. I smiled.

"See?" I looked at Gus.

"My little brother also likes to dress up our cat as 'Kitty Perry'." She added.

"Maybe Connie's right. Skylar Storm wouldn't be a bad choice as a lead character." Barry said slowly. Gus sighed.

"Fine, we'll make a Skylar Storm movie." He agreed reluctantly. I beamed happily. "And Stephanie, tell your brother he's doing the costumes."

 **Oliver's POV**

"Ollie, he's been gone too long." Dani sighed, resting her head on the palm of her hand and looking at me.

"She's right." Kaz agreed. "I hate to say I told you so, but I think we should send someone to go find him."

"Captain Atomic does not need any help." I brushed them off. I'd read all Captain Atomic's comic books during a summer trip to my grandparents and I knew that he was the ultimate hero. Nothing could beat him. "In fact, I bet that any minute, he'll come strolling in her, having defeated the Black Falcon, and heroically say-"

"To the trauma ward!" We turned to see Captain Atomic fall to the floor behind us, a couple of doctors immediately rushing to his aid.

"What?" I demanded, shocked. "This is terrible! Why did I encourage him to go out and fight? He was obviously outmatched!"

"It's not your fault, Ollie." Dani assured me. Kaz nodded.

"Yeah, maybe he just got confused from seeing everything in color for the first time." My best friend offered, trying to help. I looked at him.

"Kaz, the past wasn't in black and white." I informed him.

"You don't know that." Kaz argued.

 **Skylar's POV**

Barry had instructed us all to meet at the community center at 1 o'clock for the auditions, so in the time I had, I brought my purchases back to my room at Mighty Med, grabbed my superhero uniform, and headed over to the community center.

I stepped into the room the boys had reserved to discover that Stephanie and I weren't the only ones they'd invited to audition for the movie. The room was full of kids from school. Currently, Barry and Gus were auditioning some kid from my Spanish class.

The guy just stood in front of them whistling, until Gus threw some grapes at him. After a moment, Gus applauded him. "Thank you, Phil, I think you nailed the part of 'Innocent Bystander Hit With Grapes For No Apparent Reason'."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Who's writing the script?" I muttered before walking over to Gus and Barry, holding up mu uniform for them to see. "Before I do my audition for the role of Skylar Storm, I'd like to point out that I found this costume and coincidently, it fits me perfectly."

Gus took the costume and examined it. "This looks pretty fake." He said, much to my confusion. "But go ahead, Connie. Wow me."

I cleared my throat, then fell into an all-too familiar fighting stance. "There's a storm coming; Skylar Storm!" I then proceeded to show off my fighting skills by kicking the air a few times and doing a backflip off a nearby table.

Many of the kids in the room, including Barry, applauded me. Gus climbed out of his chair, and stood next to me. "Alright people, I have seen enough." I smiled. "The role of Skylar Storm goes to…Stephanie!"

Gus pointed at the blonde haired girl, who was sitting at a nearby desk. "What?" I demanded, shocked. "How could you not pick me for that part? I was born to play Skylar Storm. Literally, in a pod of nutrient solution." That got me a lot of strange and confused looks, so I quickly corrected myself. "I mean, in the maternity ward of a regular hospital."

"Sorry Connie, you're just not the right type." Gus told me apologetically.

"And Stephanie is?" I demanded incredulously.

"She just has that certain…j'ai ne sais quoi." He told me. I frowned.

"What does that even mean?" I questioned.

"I don't know, but she has it!" He exclaimed. Stephanie smiled at that, looking up from her mirror. "Stephanie, show Connie some of that acting j'ai ne sais quoi!"

Stephanie glanced away from her reflection. "Uh, there's, like, a storm coming. Like, Skylar Storm."

"See!" While I was hardly impressed, Gus seemed to love her 'acting' skills. "I don't know what that was!"

"Seriously?" I questioned. My first movie, and he was casting her?

"Don't worry. You'll still have a part in the movie." Gus assured me. "I'm casting you as 'Innocent Bystander Hit With Grapes For No Apparent Reason'."

"Hey!" Phil snapped, offended. Upset, he kicked over Gus' chair and left the room, storming off. Gus raced to the door.

"If you think that's going to get you the part of 'Angry Man Who Kicks Over Chair', you're sadly mistaken!"

 **Oliver's POV**

"I don't get it. He's just a little bruised." Kaz mumbled, looking Captain Atomic. The hero was still unconscious, with no sign of recovering from his fight with the Black Falcon. "There's no reason he should still be out."

Suddenly, I remembered something from Captain Atomic's comic books. "I think I know what's wrong. Help me turn him over!" I instructed. Kaz helped me push him onto his side, Dani keeping from rolling in either direction while I examined his atomic battery. "See?"

"Parapluie!" Kaz exclaimed. Dani and I both stared at him.

"Gesundheit?" Dani replied, as confused as I was.

"It's the French word for umbrella." Kaz grinned, proud that he'd remembered the word.

"Kids, what's the problem?" Horace questioned.

"Captain Atomic's atomic battery has corroded." I told him, feeling guilty. "I should have examined him before I let him go and fight."

"Hey, don't worry about that now." Dani told me, walking up to Horace. "We just have to fix this."

"Which means replacing the battery before it kills him." I nodded.

"Exactly." She agreed. She looked at Horace. "You got any replacements?"

"Sure, plenty." Horace replied. "In 1953. That was the last year we manufactured atomic batteries. It turns out that the main component, Iridium 7, had some unpleasant side-effects."

"What kind of side-effects?" Kaz asked.

"Let's just say that Dr. Glowhead wasn't born that way." Said doctor walked over to us, his head giving off a faint white glow. "Hey, I was just talking about you." Horace smiled before signing some papers.

"This is all my fault." I sighed, upset. Then I had an idea. "Wait, Horace. Can you use the wormhole transporter to send us back to 1953 so we can get an atomic battery?"

"What? Are you kidding me? I don't want to get stuck in a wormhole!" Kaz protested.

"I can't send you back. The wormhole transporter isn't done being repaired yet." Even as he said this, Horace pulled the wormhole transporter out of his pocket.

"Good." Kaz sighed in relief. Horace pulled out a tiny screwdriver and tightened a screw.

"There; now it's repaired." He announced.

"Dang it." Kaz muttered.

"But I still can't send you. It's too dangerous." Horace told us.

"Good." Kaz said again.

"But we have to!" I proclaimed. "It's the only way to save Captain Atomic's life!"

"Dang it!" Kaz sighed.

"I don't care how dangerous it is; I'm going." I continued.

"Good." Kaz commented. Dani put her arm around his shoulder.

"And so are we." She announced.

"Dang it." Kaz realized that there was no getting out of this. Before any of us could change our minds, I snatched the wormhole transporter out of Horace's hands, turned it to face us, and pressed the right button.

The world disappeared in a white flash, only to return quickly. But the world we returned to wasn't the same that we'd left. It was close, but small changes in the technology and the layout of the room proved that we weren't in our time period. The gurneys were now just regular metal gurneys without the equipment attached, the counters in the center of the room had been replaced with a couple of small black desks for nurses to work at, and even the pictures of bridges on the walls had been replaced with pictures of historical monuments.

"See Kaz? There's color here too." Dani teased as we looked around.

"We're actually in the 1950s!" I exclaimed, ecstatic. This was so cool! Even Kaz, who hadn't wanted to come at all, seemed to be pretty amazed.

"There's the original Solar Flare before she passed on the torch!" Dani exclaimed, pointed past me at a girl with curly red hair and flames coming from the palms of her hands.

"And there's the Scarlet Cyclone!" I exclaimed, watching as a man walked into a phone booth. A cyclone of red appeared in the booth, and when it stopped, the man was dressed in a red spandex suit. The gust of wind that came from the cyclone was just enough to blow Solar Flare's skirt up, giving Kaz and I a glance underneath.

"Come on." Dani rolled her eyes, physically pushing us away from the pretty girl. 'We need a plan."

"Got it. I'll map one out." Kaz offered, grabbing some items off an empty desk. "Oliver, this pill bottle will be you, this tongue depressor will be me, and this atomic battery will be Dani."

He placed the three items next to each other. I grabbed the atomic battery, much to his displeasure. "Dude, now we don't know where Dani is!"

"This is the battery!" I exclaimed. He looked at it, understanding washing over his face. "Now, let's go. We need to get back. If Captain Atomic dies, I'll never forgive yourself."

I was about to press the button that would take us home when it was suddenly stolen from my hands by a glowing object. Captain Atomic stood a few feet away from us, holding both the wormhole transporter and his atomic yoyo. "Stop right there, intruders!"

"Wait! I can explain!" I protested, but he didn't listen, instead using his weaponized yoyo to tie Kaz, Dani, and I together.

"Okay, I gotta admit, I kinda want a yoyo now." Kaz joked, much to my annoyance.

"I saw you steal that atomic battery," Captain Atomic accused, "but your plan is foiled, you foreign spies."

'We're not spies or foreigners!" Dani protested. Kaz nodded.

"We're as American as can be!" He agreed. "I'll say the pledge of allegiance right now."

'Let's hear it." Captain Atomic tested him. Kaz hesitated.

"I don't actually know it." He admitted. I sighed. Of course he didn't. "But if one of my friends said it, I could mouth along."

I sighed. "I swear to you, we're not traitors." I told him. Kaz repeated what I said, much to my annoyance. "I'm not saying the pledge of allegiance!"

"Stop shouting!" Dani snapped, clearly not liking how she was stuck in the middle of us. She sent me a glare, then looked at Captain Atomic pleadingly. "Please, we're here to help you."

"We came from the future to save your life." I insisted.

"Lies!" Captain Atomic bellowed, to my surprise. "You can explain yourself to the hospital's tough talking, non-nonsense chief of staff!"

At that moment, conga music filled the air and a conga line came dancing into the room. At the front of the line was the one and only Horace Diaz, dressed in a suit.

"Horace?" I questioned. "Is that you?"

"Do you, like, never age?" Dani questioned incredulously, looking him and up and down.

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Horace replied. "But it will get you a free play on the jukebox." He flipped a quarter at Dani. "Just don't pick B-17. It reminds me of…her."

Captain Atomic finally released us, pulling his yoyo back to himself. "I caught these three trying to steal an atomic battery. I assume the brown haired beatnik with bangs in his eyes is the mastermind. There's no way this tall dolly-"

"What did you call me?" Dani frowned.

"-or this young man with his perfect hair and simple brain-"

"Hey!" Kaz protested.

"-could have plotted to break in here." He paused. "Excuse me a second."

He whipped his yoyo into the air, knocking a supervillain dressed in black to the ground.

"That's the villain Ratscare!" I exclaimed.

"Well done!" Horace congratulated Captain Atomic before turning to the two guards that had arrive to deal with the criminal. "Now, read him his rights, give him a fair trial…just joking. Pull his arms off!"

"Now explain yourselves, intruders, or you'll meet the same fate." Horace turned on us.

"Horace, you have to listen to us." I pleaded with him. "We work for you in the future. We're the only Normos on staff."

"I would never hire Normos, and there's nothing I hate more than intruders." Horace snapped. "And I hate to hate things, but I love to love things."

"Yes, we know!" Dani agreed quickly. "You love bridges."

That seemed to stump Horace. "Bridges?" He repeated, thinking it over. "Sturdy, functional, stylish…not a bad idea. I LOVE BRIDGES! I like the sound of that. But you three will still need to be de-armed."

"No! I love my arms!" Kaz protested as a group of guards teleported in front of us. "If I didn't have arms, I couldn't do this!"

Kaz began making all these gestures with his arms as the guards stared at him.

"Or this!" I added, reaching around Kaz and my sister. I grabbed the wormhole teleporter out of Captain Atomic's hands before he could stop me and hit the button, enveloping us in a wormhole.

 **Skylar's POV**

While Gus was setting up the scene for Stephanie in the middle of the courtyard we were going to film, I was hanging on the steps, waiting for my scene. "Hey," Barry greeted, sitting down next to me. He offered me a bottle. "Water?"

"No thanks." I replied, shaking my head. I watched as Gus fiddled with some of the cameras. "Okay, why is Gus running this thing?"

"He really wanted to direct a movie, and since I was already planning on doing one for my senior project, so I figured, let Gus direct, and I'll take care of the finishing touches. Works for both of us." He shrugged. "But honestly, I wouldn't have chosen Stephanie for the lead."

"Good idea." I agreed. He nodded.

"So…" He trailed off. "How are things?"

"Uh…good?" I replied. He nodded, then glanced down at the water bottle.

"How's Dani?" He asked after a moment. I raised an eyebrow at that, remembering their break-up.

"No offense, Barry, but I don't think that's your business anymore." I said coolly. He glanced at me.

"I suppose you're right." He agreed. "I just…I didn't want to hurt her, you know? Things just weren't working out."

"She's fine." I assured him. He nodded.

"Good." He nodded again, just as Gus appeared to be finishing up with his adjustments to the setup. "Shall we?"

I pushed myself off the steps and walked towards the center of the courtyard, Barry following behind. Stephanie was looking around at the setup, clad in my uniform, much to my annoyance.

"Alright, this is scene 2A, where Skylar is attacked by a band of alien assassins." Gus announced, ushering everyone who wasn't Stephanie behind the tripod holding his phone. "And…action!"

Four kids in black and white costume with Martian masks on ran out from behind some bushes. "Oh no, it's like four against one." Not only did her lines seem unbelievable, but she also kept looking directly at the camera. "What am I going to, like, do?"

"Stop it!" I interrupted the scene, stepping in front of the camera. "You are ruining Skylar Storm's legacy! She would never fight in high heels."

"She's not fighting. She's waiting to be rescued by my character, the Guslander." Gus replied, putting his fists on his hips.

I looked at him, then at his tripod. "Can I see this for a second?" I asked, gesturing at it. He nodded. I adjusted the camera for a second, then took the whole tripod and threw it onto the ground several feet away.

Gus looked at me. "Hey! If you're auditioning for the part of 'Girl Who Throws Tripod', you got it. We're shooting that scene next."

 **Oliver's POV**

"You're back!" Horace exclaimed as we stepped out of the wormhole, safely returned to our time. "Did you get the battery?"

"Yes!" I pulled the battery out of my pocket and handed it to him.

"Now let's put it in Captain Atomic before it's too late." He decided, rushing over to Captain Atomic. He pulled the back of the hero's shirt up, revealing where the corroded battery was. He pulled out the old battery and replaced it with the new one. Almost immediately, Captain Atomic woke up, confused.

"I just had this terrible dream where women were doctors and men didn't wear hats." He exclaimed. He looked around at the women doctors working with patients and the hatless men, a disappointed look coming over his face. "Oh, it was real."

"Yes, it was." Dani agreed, still annoyed with him. Suddenly the monitor behind us turned on, the channel set on SNN. "What's going on?"

Horace ran over to the monitor, reading the information on the screen. "Black Falcon has taken out all the other superheroes in the city. Captain Atomic's the only one left."

Kaz turned to the blonde haired hero. "You have to go do something." He told him.

"Like what?" Captain Atomic sighed. "You were right about me; I can't right these modern villains."

"No, I was wrong." Kaz told him. "We just saw you in the past, and you kicked butt."

"The way you took that villain out…it was easy for you." Dani agreed. "I may not like how you talk to girls, but even I have to admit that you've got skills, especially with that yoyo."

"Captain Atomic, you can do it." I encouraged him. "The only reason Black Falcon was able to defeat you was because your battery was corroded. You weren't on you're A game. But now you're at full strength."

"Once a hero, always a hero." Kaz added. "No matter how lame-o your McCheesy-tights are."

"Maybe I do still have what it takes." Captain Atomic considered it. "So, to the skies."

Thankfully, he didn't try and fly through our ceiling this time. "But first, where's the little hero's room? Technically, I haven't gone in sixty years."

"Down that hall, the third door on your right." I replied, gesturing. He nodded.

"Thanks." He started in that direction. "To the restroom!"

 **Skylar's POV**

"And cut!" Gus shouted. I watched, shaking my head, as two guys carefully cut a large sub into small pieces. "I'm also good at directing snack time."

I sighed and turned to Stephanie as everyone else walked away in the direction of the snack tables. "Hey, I have a few tips for portraying Skylar Storm as the amazing hero she is. For one thing, she doesn't use the word 'like' as much."

"I don't, like, say 'like', like, a lot." She denied it. I stared at her.

"Do you, like, hear yourself?" Then I realized what I'd said. "Great, now I'm, like, doing it."

Suddenly, something hit me from behind, knocking me to the ground. I rolled over, confused, just to see the villain Black Falcon standing over me, gripping Stephanie's arm tightly. I'd never fought him myself, but he was exactly as I expected – tall, dressed completely in black, and carrying a gold three-point spear in one hand.

"Next on my hit list; Skylar Storm!" He sneered. Stephanie looked at him, completely unafraid.

"Ew. Somebody, like, needs a manicure." She wrinkled her nose in disgust, pulling her arm away from him. The Black Falcon didn't reply, instead using the power in his glove to render her unconscious. He caught her before she could hit the ground, holding his spear just above her head.

"First, you lose your powers," He sneered, oblivious to the fact that I was getting to my feet, "And now, you lose your life."

I lunged at him, landing a strong kick straight to his chest. It managed to knock him back, giving me the chance to lower Stephanie safely to the ground. "Hey, Black Falcon!" I called, getting into a fighting stance. "Why don't you pick on the real Skylar Storm, not some cheap knockoff?"

I spun around, adding power to my punch as I tried to hit him. When he dodged that, I leapt onto one foot, kicking my other one up at his stomach. He blocked it and swung his spear at me. I managed to dodge it by cartwheeling away from him, giving me the chance to ready my next attack.

He swung his spear at me again. This time I leapt over it, aiming a kick to his head. I didn't manage to land the blow, though, as he spun around and knocked me to the ground with the thicker end of his spear. He didn't give me a chance to recover, and stood above me, ready to strike.

But then, all of a sudden, the spear flew out of his hands. We both looked, surprised, and saw a tall, blonde haired superhero in a blue and red uniform standing close by, the spear lying discarded at his feet.

"Hey bird brain." He smirked, playing with a golden yoyo. "I don't mean to ruffle your feathers, but it's time to cock-a-doodle-do you in."

"Dude, seriously?" The Black Falcon read my mind. The hero didn't seem to care, instead taking on the Black Falcon himself. I relaxed a little, exhausted, hurt, and knowing that I wasn't a match for the Black Falcon without my powers.

"Skylar!" I looked up to see Oliver skid over to me, trying to keep low as he watched the hero and Black Falcon trade blows. I could see Dani and Kaz on the other side of the courtyard, watching from behind a garbage can. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I muttered, not wanting to admit the truth. I couldn't even beat the Black Falcon! I used to take on villains every day, and now I couldn't even hold my own against one! "Who is that?"

"Captain Atomic." He replied. I looked at him, confused. "Long story."

Assuming that he would tell me later, I turned my attention back to the fight. Black Falcon was shooting wave after wave of dark energy at Captain Atomic, but his shield, somehow created from spinning that yoyo around in circles, deflected it every time. It was only when Black Falcon used his spear to attack did the shield finally crack. Captain Atomic hit the ground hard, but slowly got up, kneeling on one knee and breathing heavy.

The Black Falcon held his spear high, then went to slam it downwards, intending to shoot out one last wave of dark energy that would surely end the fight, but Captain Atomic was too quick. He threw his yoyo to the ground as hard as he could, the impact of the clever device causing the area around him to suddenly become an anti-gravity zone.

"Cool." I heard Oliver whisper in awe. I had to admit, he was right. This was cool.

Captain Atomic retracted his yoyo, the anti-gravity effects disappearing. Black Falcon hit the ground roughly as Captain Atomic stood to his full height. Black Falcon glared at him.

"This isn't over, Captain Atomic!" He growled. "So watch your back."

With that, the villain flew into the air. "Here." Oliver offered me his hand and after a moment, I took it.

"Thanks." I rubbed my back with a grimace, almost certain that he bruised my backbone. That was going to hurt for a couple of days.

"See? You are still amazing." Kaz was saying to Captain Atomic as we walked over to the three of them.

"Wait, aren't you going to go after him?" Dani questioned, frowning. I glanced up at the sky, then smirked.

"No need." I replied for him. Before anyone could question what I meant, we heard helicopter blades and a scream, and black feathers began to fall around us.

"I don't think we're going to be hearing from him for a while." Captain Atomic decided. He looked at me. "Nice moves kid."

"Thanks. For the compliment and for saving me." I replied, shaking his hand.

"Well, I can see a damsel in distress over a mile away." He replied proudly. "Seriously, I can see over a mile away."

I shook my head, amused.

"We should probably get you back to your own time now, huh?" Oliver commented. That confused me a bit, but I didn't comment on it, knowing that Oliver would fill me in later.

"Actually, I think I'll stay here." Captain Atomic replied thoughtfully.

"Really?" Kaz asked. Captain Atomic nodded.

"Like equal rights and opportunities for everyone, regardless of race or gender." Dani added with a smile. Captain Atomic didn't argue with it, but it clearly wasn't his favorite thing about the future either.

"Yeah, that. But I was talking about flat screen TVs." He told her. "And seedless watermelon. The future is amazing!"

"Okay. Explain, later." I told Oliver. He nodded. "I'm going to check on Stephanie, make sure she's alright."

"Alright. Catch you later." He replied, smiling. I waved goodbye to Kaz and Dani before walking over to where Stephanie was just starting to wake up.

"What happened?" She questioned as I helped her to her feet. "Did I faint from too much hairspray again?"

"Hey." Gus walked over to us. "I don't know who those extras in the costumes were, but they totally ruined my movie. Look what you did to my masterpiece!"

He showed us the footage. I'd been expecting to see the entire fight scene, but instead, it was just a video of Gus directing the movie. "The camera was turned the wrong way, so you didn't record any of the movie? Just your face?" I didn't believe it.

"Don't worry. I'll just convert it to 3D." Gus assured me. "People will see any piece of garbage if it's in 3D."

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? Good or bad? I want to know what you guys have to say about it. Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few weeks:**

 **August 8** **th** **– Growing Pains**

 **August 15** **th** **– Night of the Living Nightmare**

 **August 22** **nd** **– Mighty Mad**

 **Now, that's the latest you can expect the chapters. Because I'm WAY behind on schedule, I'm going to try and get them out faster than one a week because I want to try and catch up a bit, so be prepared for the possibility of early updates. Anyway, I'll catch you all next time.**


	12. Growing Pains

**Kihonne: Alright folks, I'm back! I bring to you Growing Pains! Personally, I liked the episode a lot. It was one of my favorite ones, as far as comedy goes. Anyway, you know the deal: before I give you the story, I must respond to my wonderful reviewers. So here we go!**

 **Xxx**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: I'm glad you liked it so much. Those heroes I mentioned…well, Alivia's going to explain more about them this chapter, but they won't make an appearance in The Days of Our Lives. You should be able to guess why after hearing what Alivia has to say, but if not, I'll explain next chapter to those who didn't get what I was referring to. Speaking of Alivia, she is gay, not bi. As for Barry, you will see him again, but he's not going to be in too many chapters. Maybe about 7 of the 40. I have plans for him, but many of them won't come into play for a very long time, I'm afraid.**

 **Algernon: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter so much. I felt Dani should say something about the comments, because even though it totally makes sense for someone from that time era to believe that women were second-class citizens compared to men, it would be out of character for Dani to just accept that and let him say things like that. Anyway, I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you like this one too.**

 **Avaoreo1112: I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Now, as for your question, Alivia will appear in most chapters (I'm pretty sure she's only going to miss about 4 or 5 in the entire story). I can't always fit certain OCs into plots very well. Mighty Med is especially bad for leaving me very little room for changes that include characters (I've had a bit of trouble fitting Dani into some scenes). So, sometimes I choose to send some OCs on vacation, either because they're not relevant to the plot, or because their disappearance enhances the plot. Heck, even Calla's missed an episode of the Lab Assistant – I'm 99% sure that she wasn't in the chapter Quarantined – so if your favorite OC misses a chapter, don't worry, because they'll be back soon.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, without further ado, here's the chapter.**

 **Bryan: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kaz's POV**

"So your trip to California was a bust?" Oliver said sympathetically as he, Dani, Alivia, and I walked down the street. The red-head had recently returned from a trip with her father, one that they'd hoped would result in three new superheroes.

"Mostly, yeah." Alivia sighed. "The video made them look cool and stuff, but they were basically just a bunch of teenagers with electromechanical implants."

"But you said the pretty one could give the Flash a run for his money." I frowned. "Literally."

"Super-powered people have four classifications: people born with abilities, like Jaime and I; people who've been bestowed powers, like the Key Keeper; people not born on Earth, like Skylar; and people who use weapons to help others, like Batman. Using implants, even ones as advanced as those, don't count." The Irish girl shrugged. "But it wasn't a total waste. I did get to go sight-seeing while we were spying on them."

"Stalker." Dani accused teasingly as I pushed open the door to the Domain.

"I am not a stalker!" Alivia protested, but I was no longer interested in that conversation.

"Dudes!" I grinned, eyeing a large stand featuring the newest traumatic video game on the market. "Unbridled Mayhem. The video game so disturbing, it comes with a nightlight."

"That's perfect!" Dani beamed. "Ollie, weren't you just telling me at breakfast about how you needed a new one?"

"My old one is so baby-ish." He agreed.

"We have to have this." I decided, reaching for the video game, only to have my hand slapped away by a middle-aged man with slick brown hair and a moustache.

"Not so fast, punk." He told me, looking at us sternly.  
"Who're you?" I demanded, confused.

"The name is Bryan, with a Y. And an A and a N and a R and a B. But not in that order." We all exchanged looks. "Wallace and Clyde left me in charge while they're at they identical twin comic book store owners convention, and I'm not going to sell you this game. It's too intense and you're not mature enough to play it."

"I got this." Oliver pushed past us. He put his hand on Bryan's shoulder. 'Bryan, my good man. It just so happens that my associates and I are exceptionally mature, so mature that we pronounce mature 'mature'." He said smoothly, emphasizing the 't' sound in mature.

I chuckled. "Hey, if you replace the 't' in 'mature' with an 'n', you get 'manure'." I laughed, amused. "That's cow poop."

Dani's lips twitched up a bit, almost turning into a smile, even as Alivia sighed. "Well, we just lost all credibility." She commented dryly.

"You can not have this game, period." Bryan snapped. Dani raised an eyebrow.

"That seems like more an exclamation mark than a period." She retorted. Bryan glared at her.

"You listen here, colon: no game for you! Exclamation point!" He began ripping the games off the shelf. "You got that, question mark?"

And with that, he stormed off towards the back of the store. "What a jerk." Dani grumbled.

"Well, maybe it's just as well." Alivia reasoned. 'If you guys bought the game, you'd be playing it all weekend instead of finishing our biology labs."

I stopped, confused. "Biology labs?"

"Yeah, the ones that are due Monday?" Oliver added. I frowned, totally confused as to what they were talking about.

"Dee? Help me out?" I said hopefully.

"We were given caterpillar larva and we were supposed to photograph and chart their development into butterflies." She explained. "Remember? I spent three whole days trying to convince Liv to let me keep mine at her house because Katy kept trying to get into their cage?"

I shook my head. "I must have been absent when they assigned that project."

"No, you were there. You got them, like, a month ago." Oliver assured me. "I remember you laughed because the word 'butterfly' has the word 'butt' in it."

I laughed at that. "So many words do! Butter, buttermilk, butts." Apparently, I was the only one who found that funny. "And anyway, I don't remember being given any caterpillar larva."

I unzipped my backpack, intending to grab my phone out of it, only for a dozen butterflies to come fluttering out. We all stared at them, surprised.

"Oh, now I remember!" I exclaimed, watching them fly away. "I put them in my backpack."

"Figures." Alivia sighed, shaking her head at me.

 **Xxx**

"I'll catch up with you guys later." Alivia told us as walked through the doors of Mighty Med, adjusting her bag's straps. "I'm gonna go change into my uniform and see what Skylar is up to."

"See ya." Dani replied as Alivia headed off to the nearest bathroom.

"Kids!" Horace called to us, standing above one of the gurneys. As we walked over, I could see a small, doll-like figure on the end of the bed. "I need your help. I'm performing a ground-breaking procedure."

We looked at his 'patient'. "Why are you operating on a doll?" Dani questioned, frowning.

"If you're trying to replace the batteries, you're using the wrong tool." Oliver advised. "You need a teeny-tiny philips head."

Horace stared at him. "Don't make fun of Philip's head!" He scolded. "He's very self-conscious about it. It's not nearly as big as he wishes it were." He cleared his throat as the tallest nurse in the hospital walked over to us. Philip was practically a giant, and his head was twice the size of any Normo's. "Hey Philip. Head's looking huge."

"You're just saying that." Philip accused grumpily before taking away the metal tray from under the doll. Horace laid the doll gently on the pillow, giving us all a better look at it.

"Hey, isn't that Brain Matter?" I questioned, recognizing the doll.

"If he defrosts, he'll turn into a rampaging beast!" Oliver exclaimed. Horace smiled.

"I think I can cure him with this experimental serum." The man explained. "But first, I need you to step back."

"For safety?" Dani guessed.

"No. One of you has been eating salami." He explained. Dani gave us both pointed looks, even as I pointed at Oliver.

We stepped back a couple of steps, allowing Horace to resume his experiment. He carefully injected the Brain Matter doll with the serum and quickly stepped back. Almost immediately, the doll grew into a real-life, full-sized man. Brain Matter sat up, absolutely baffled. "Where am I?" He demanded, pushing his goggles away from his face. "What happened to me? And who's been eating salami?"

"He has." Oliver and I accused each other at the same time, while Dani helped Brain Matter off the bed.

"Brain Matter, it's me, Dr. Horace Diaz." Horace reminded him. "I've injected you with a serum that should have given you all the powers you tried to create for yourself, but without the side-effects."

Brain Matter looked at him in utter astonishment. "That's incredible." He proclaimed, his voice full of awe. Horace smiled.

"Let's test those super powers, staring with super vision." He suggested. "How many fingers is the man on the corner of Walnut and Fourth holding up?"

Brain Matter looked into the distance, focused on something none of us could see. "Three." He said after a moment. Horace nodded.

"I'm just going to have to trust you; I don't have super vision." He replied. "Next, use your telekinesis to move that flower pot!"

Brain Matter looked at the flower pot in question. It was just a pot of dirt and a couple of seeds, the plant yet to have sprouted. Brain Matter extended his hand towards the pot, a look of concentration written on his face.

But instead of the pot beginning to hover, an orange tree grew from the dirt.

"Whoa." Dani laughed lightly in amazement. Brain Matter looked at Horace questioningly, unsure of why that had just happened.

"So…nothing." Horace decided before walking away.

"The serum must have altered some of his powers." Oliver guessed.

"Now you can make things age and grow." Dani told Brain Matter, who was looking at the orange tree with interest.

"It's incredible. Do you realize what you can do with a power like that?" I asked the superhero, an idea already forming in my head.

"End world hunger? Restore the Amazon Rain Forest?" Brain Matter guessed. I scoffed.

"No, something that affects me." It should have been obvious. "Could you help me with my biology lab? I bet you can age caterpillar eggs into butterflies in thirty seconds instead of thirty days."

"Not now." Brain Matter told me, staring into the nearby wall. Apparently, he was seeing something we couldn't. "I'm watching a movie in a theatre, in Omaha." He suddenly cursed. "Ugh! I always get stuck behind a guy with a giant head."

"No one ever complains about my head being too big!" I heard Philip's bitter retort come from behind us.

 **Alan's POV**

I looked around uncertainly, hoping that my uncle would not be anywhere in earshot. I really needed to talk to somebody about this, but I wasn't sure who I could trust with this kind of thing.

Then I spotted Skylar and Geminus sitting in the cafeteria, chatting. They both seemed mildly trust-worthy, and Geminus did act nicer to me than most of the people in the hospital…Maybe I could talk to them.

"Uh, Skylar? Geminus?" I approached them. "Could I talk to you guys about something personal?"

"No." Skylar responded almost immediately. Geminus gave her a pointed look. I had the feeling that if Geminus would listen, then she would make Skylar listen too, so I continued.

"Thanks." I smiled at them. "I was hoping you guys could help me with something. It's kinda hard to say this, but, my body is starting to undergo some…" I tried to think of the right word, "…changes."

"Uh…" Geminus had a slightly awkward look on her face, but Skylar was suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Well that can only be good news!" She exclaimed. "What kind of changes?"

"Well…" I hadn't expected her to ask for details. "Sometimes when I get suddenly frightened, I…" I broke off, unable to say it. "No, I can't tell you. It's too embarrassing."

Skylar and Geminus exchanged looks. "It's alright, Alan. You don't need to tell us." Geminus assured me. "After all, we can just-"

"BOO!" Skylar suddenly screamed, making me jump in shock and fear. Antlers suddenly sprouted out of my head.

Both girls stared at them, eyes wide in bemusement.

"See? Look at this! What should I do?" I demanded before any of them could laugh.

"Pull Santa's sleigh." Geminus giggled, unable to help herself. Skylar had one hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh in my face.

"C'mon." I pleaded with them.

"Why don't you just tell Horace about it?" Skylar asked. "I mean, he is your Uncle."

"Are you crazy?" I stared at her incredulously. "I don't feel comfortable talking to him about anything like this!" I looked at them, both of them, and sighed. "Please? You're both incredible heroes who have dedicated themselves to helping people. Can't you help me?"

Both girls looked touched by what I said, Skylar most of all. "You really think I'm still a hero?" She asked. I scoffed at the very thought.

"No." I retorted. "I was just saying that to trick you into doing what I want."

Geminus crossed her arms, lying them on the cafeteria table. "And how's that working out for you?" She questioned in a falsely-pleasant tone.

"You are really bad at asking for help." Skylar told me. "But fine, we'll help you."

"We will?" Geminus cocked her head to the side, frowning. Skylar nodded.

"Yes, we will." She decided.

"Thank you." I sighed in relief. "But please, promise me you won't say anything to my Uncle Horace. He wouldn't understand, and," I gulped nervously, "he's an avid hunter."

 **Kaz's POV**

It took a lot of convincing, but eventually, I managed to break Brain Matter down into agreeing to help me with my homework assignment.

I was waiting with him in the rec room when the doors swung open, Dani and Oliver walking in.

"Hey Owlgirl." Oliver smiled upon seeing the other hero in the room. The bird-themed superhero was standing next to a bird cage, her workout bag sitting on the couch. "I heard you were with Heritos, the superhero Owl of Truth. You know who told me? A little birdie." Oliver laughed at that joke, but it was way too overplayed to make even Owlgirl crack a smile. "Actually, it was Solar Flare; she's kinda a gossip."

"Hey, here's the larva." Dani told me, handing me the package she'd manage to procure from the science lab. Hopefully, no one would notice they were gone.

"Thank you." I smiled at her, then turned to face Brain Matter. "Brain Matter, I really appreciate you helping me with my biology lab. I would also appreciate you not whining about it."

"I've been shrunk down and frozen for years. Aging caterpillars into butterflies wasn't the first thing on my wish list of things to." He retorted.

"What was the first thing you wanted to do?" Oliver questioned, genuinely curious.

"Return this movie I rented to my local video store." He held up a VHS video tape. 'I'm sure they're still around, right?"

"Well, considering the late fees you're bound to have, I'd hope for your sake that they're not." Dani replied, shrugging. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. "Crap." She muttered, rolling her eyes before answering the phone. "Hello Mother."

She walked away with the phone, an annoyed look on her face.

I shrugged and laid the caterpillars out on a metal table in front of him, then pulled my phone out of my pocket so I could video tape this.

"Here are the caterpillars." I announced, grinning. "Let's make some butterflies."

I aimed my camera at the caterpillars and hit record, just as Brain Matter raised his hand towards them, focusing. Oliver stood on the other side of the table.

However, instead of the caterpillars beginning to turn into butterflies, then rolled into small balls, shrinking, and turned into eggs.

"Something's wrong with your power." Oliver hummed, frowning. "Instead of making the caterpillars older, you made them younger. They're eggs now!"

"No!" I protested. "I have to turn in this report, and I can't get anything lower than a C. Or a D that I can turn into a B just by putting a little line through it."

"Uh, guys?" We turned to see that Dani had walked back into the room. "What happened to Heritos?"

Apparently, the caterpillars weren't the only ones who'd gotten a lot younger. The owl had been replaced an egg. "Heritos is an egg now! What are we going to do?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm getting the heck out of here!" Brain Matter exclaimed, making a run for the door. We all exchanged looks.

"What are we supposed to tell Owlgirl?" Oliver wondered.

"I vote nothing." I offered.

"I second the motion." Dani agreed. Oliver nodded.

"Agreed." He grabbed a towel off a nearby rack and carefully place it over Heritos' cage. "Sorry, Egg of Truth. Huh. Feels ironic to have to lie about this."

"Uh, Mom wants us home for dinner." Dani told Oliver.

"But wait, what about my biology lab?" I protested. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Just come by tomorrow, and we'll help you figure something out." Oliver promised. I sighed.

"Fine," I reluctantly agreed.

 **Xxx**

"Oliver! Dani!" I called, banging on their front door. "Let me in!"

"Wow, you're up early." Dani's voice came from behind me. I turned to see her wearing a red tank-top and a pair of sweat pants. "Seriously, I've never seen you up before ten before, let alone at 7:30."

"I'm desperate. I'm barely passing the class as it is." I admitted. Dani nodded.

"Same here." She agreed, pulling a pair of keys out of her pockets. "C'mon in."

She unlocked the door and led me into the kitchen, tossing the keys onto the counter. "Ollie! Get out of bed; Kaz is here!"

"Water's in the fridge, right?" I guessed, already heading for the refrigerator. I grabbed a bottle for myself, then one for her. "Have a nice run?" I asked, tossing it to her.

"Yeah. I ran into Barry, chatted a bit." She replied. She turned around to look at the stairs. "Ollie!"

"Isn't he usually up by the time you get back from your morning runs?" I asked. She nodded.

"Most of the time, yeah." She replied, frowning. "Maybe he's not feeling well?"

"I'll go check on him." I offered, jogging up the stairs two at a time. I didn't even knock before entering my best friend's bedroom.

As expected, the lights were still off, his shoes were still by the door, and Oliver was still in bed, his entire body covered by a mound of blue striped blankets.

"Oliver, wake up!" I exclaimed. "How could you oversleep? That's my thing. Get up. We have to try and fix Brain Matter so he can help me with my biology lab."

A loud, whining groan came from beneath the slowly moving blankets. I chuckled at the sight. 'C'mon. Wakey-wakey, eggs and-" I ripped the blankets off to reveal a very, very young child with messy brown hair. "-ahh. What the bakey?"

"Is he up?" Dani poked her head in. She frowned, stepping into the room completely when she saw the child. "Kaz, tell me you did not kidnap a small child."

"Could you keep it down?" The child request, not opening his eyes. "I was sleeping like a baby. Come back in, like, ten years."

"Is that-" Dani stared at him. "He looks just like Oliver did when we were that young."

"I think it is him." I agreed before grabbing mini-Oliver from under his arms and lifting him out of the bed. I carried him over to his bedroom mirror, the kid struggling and kicking the whole time.

"Put me down!" Mini-Oliver demanded. The moment he saw his reflection, he froze. "AH! I look like I'm five years old!" He exclaimed.

"Ollie?" Dani said softly. The child looked up at his sister. "I think you are five years old."

"When Brain Matter reversed the ages of the caterpillars and Heritos, you must have been standing in the way of his powers." I realized. "And your body regressed ten years!"

"Why didn't my brain? And why didn't it happen as soon as I got zapped? And why did my clothes also shrink?" Mini-Oliver questioned.

"How should we know?" I demanded. "I'm terrible at science. Man, I didn't even do my biology lab!"

"What am I going to do?" Mini-Oliver asked.

"What are you going to do?" Dani repeated. "How the hell am I supposed to explain this to Mom?"

"Well you can't go to school like this." I gestured at him. "So, could I have your biology lab?"

 **Xxx**

So, after a small debate, we decided that we should go back to Mighty Med and see if Brain Matter could undo what he did. Of course, that meant walking six blocks with a five year old. Not as much fun as it sounds.

Eventually, we walked into Mighty Med, Oliver clutching both my and Dani's hands.

"Why are you holding our hands?" I demanded.

"I don't know. Instincts." He shrugged, looking up at me with big, five-year old eyes.

"Well, stop it." I told him, pulling my hand away. "It's weird!"

"This whole thing is weird!" Dani exclaimed.

"Look, let's just find Brain Matter without Horace finding out, alright?" I looked at them both. Dani nodded, but Oliver shook his head.

"Too late." He told us, pointing past us. We turned to see Alivia, and Horace walking towards us.

"Aw, who is this cutie-patootie?" Horace cooed, while Alivia gave us a questioning look.

"Uh, he's my little brother." I lied.

"Well, he's a sweetie-pie." Horace smile gently at Oliver. "Guards, have this adorable little boy taken away and cubed!"

"Wait, no!" Dani protested. Oliver pushed past her.

"Wait, it's me, Oliver!" He exclaimed, once again taking me and his sister's hands.

"Kaz, Dani, what have you done?" Horace demanded.

"Why does everyone always blame us?" Dani retorted, staring at them.

"Because we know you." Alivia responded.

"That is mean." Dani accused. I sighed.

"Brain Matter accidently exposed Oliver to the age reversal process and now he's a very clingy five year old." I shook my hand out of his, but Oliver didn't seem to care, still holding onto his sister's hand.

"Amazing." Horace exclaimed.

"No, not amazing." Dani retorted. "Now can we get Brain Matter to fix him before dinner? 'Cause my mom and I don't get along on the best of days, imagine how things will be if I bring home a four year old."

"Five." Oliver corrected.

"Not the point, Ollie!" She snapped, glaring down at her brother.

"Well, I fined tuned Brain Matter's powers, so he could reverse you back to your normal age, if that's what you want."

"Yes, please!" I begged him. "They're impossible to reason with at this age!"

"Brain Matter should be in the rec room." Horace said. Dani nodded.

"I'll go get him." She offered, releasing Oliver's hand and heading in the direction of the rec room.

"Why didn't you guys come earlier?" Alivia frowned as Horace went to speak with a nearby nurse.

"We tried! It took us forever to get here!" I proclaimed. "He wanted to stop and pet every doggy he saw!"

"So did Dani!" Oliver protested.

"Yeah, but when she does it, it's cute." I retorted. Alivia perked up at that.

"It is?" She questioned, suspiciously. I shrugged.

"Girls and puppies are cute together." I replied. She nodded, a tiny smirk on her face.

"Okay." She agreed, shrugging. She glanced over at Horace, who was just finishing with the nurse, a frown on her face.

"Something wrong?" I asked. She sighed.

"Alan and Horace…there's something they need to talk to each about, but because they're too cowardly to do so, they keep coming to me and Skylar. And we don't want to be involved." She explained. "I'm just trying to figure out how to get them to talk."

"Have you tried locking them in a room together? Just lie and say there's some emergency, then don't let either of them out until they've talked." I suggested. She considered it.

"That's not a bad idea, Kaz. Thanks." She sent me a quick smile as Horace walked back over to us. We only had to wait another minute or so before Dani and Brain Matter came walking into the room.

"Oliver?" Brain Matter checked, looking at the younger version of my best friend. Oliver nodded. "Amazing."

"We covered this; it's not amazing." Dani told him. "Now fix him."

"Okay." Brain Matter motioned for us all to get out of the way except for Oliver. "Hold still."

He held his hand out, focusing on Oliver. My best friend started to grow and age, but after a moment, I could tell something was up. Oliver had always been the shortest of us all (he was 5'4, I was almost 5'6, and Dani was somewhere in between), so how come he continued growing past even Horace's height? When Brain Matter was finished, Oliver was at least 6 feet tall, his body was built a fair bit stronger, and his hair had begun to recede. He looked like a middle-ages man.

"Uh-oh." Brain Matter grimaced. Oliver frowned.

"What just happened?" He questioned.

"It seems we went a teeny bit past fifteen." Horace admitted.

"A teeny bit?" Oliver repeated. He looked at Dani, Alivia, and I. "How do I look?"

"A bit like Dad, actually." Dani admitted as Alivia grabbed a metal tray off the counter and handed it to him. He stared at his reflection, horrified.

"I'm in my thirties?" He realized. "That's, like, almost DEAD!"

"I guess we'll have to do some more tests on Brain Matter." Horace decided.

"What about me? What am I supposed to do in the meantime?" Oliver demanded.

"Start saving for retirement?" Alivia offered, trying to be helpful. Suddenly, I knew what we were going to do.

"I have an idea." I announced.

 **Xxx**

Fifteen minutes later, we were standing in front of Brian at the cash register in the Domain. "My brother would like to purchase this video game." Dani announced clearly, placing the Unbridled Mayhem disk case on the counter while Brian stared at us suspiciously. Technically, she wasn't lying, as Oliver was her brother. But his older appearance would force Brian to give us the game.

 **Alan's POV**

"Alan! Alan!" I had just wandering the halls of Mighty Med, minding my own business, when I heard Geminus calling my name. "I need you to go the rec room right away."

I frowned. "Why? Can it wait? I'm very busy right now, not being in the rec room."

"But it's urgent! There's a leak in there!" Geminus exclaimed.

"So call the janitor." I told her, wondering why she would be bothering me with something so mundane.

"I can't because…it's the janitor who's leaking!" I looked at her, both disgusted and confused. "Bodily fluids," she clarified, "everywhere! And you're the only one who can save him."

"Wow." It wasn't often that anyone in this hospital believed I could do anything. She began dragging me along, all the way to the rec room. "Finally! Everyone will know that Alan Diaz is heroic and brave and-AH!" I screamed, finally seeing the janitor. She wasn't kidding about the janitor; he really was leaking sweat and tears and something else liquidy all over the floor.

Suddenly, painful stabs of pair flooded my system as porcupine quills appeared on and in my skin.

Geminus stared at me, eyes wide. "Wow…that looks painful." She commented. I nodded, then immediately regretted moving.

"Yes, and these are just the needles you can see." I told her. She stepped closer to me, her hands hovering above me as if she wanted to help, but wasn't sure how to do so without hurting me anymore.

"Should I get Horace?" She asked.

"No!" I snapped quickly. I knew my uncle was getting suspicious about how I'd been acting; he'd been avoiding me lately, and talking to Skylar and Geminus behind my back. And even though they reassured me that they hadn't said anything, I still wasn't ready to say anything myself. "No, Geminus, I don't want you to get him."

"…Alright." The red-headed hero replied reluctantly.

 **Kaz's POV**

I grinned as Oliver, Dani, and I finished the first level of Unbridled Mayhem. "Man, I love having a thirty-year old best friend!" I grinned. "You're old enough to rent an industrial vacuum. And you can drive us anywhere, like to the industrial vacuum rental store."

"Why would we need an industrial vacuum?" Dani inquired, confused.

"To vacuum things industrially." I replied, thinking it was obvious.

"Kaz, Brain Matter's powers made me fifteen years older, but it didn't magically give me a car."

"You're thirty years old and you don't have your own car?" I chuckled as I began to clean up the game stuff. "That's pathetic."

"Hey!" Oliver protested.

"Well, he ain't wrong, bro." Dani teased, going to grab the rest of the stuff.

"I got it." I told her, sliding the video game and the controllers into my backpack.

"I'm hungry." Dani complained.

"I know; I heard your stomach growl four times." I replied, amused. She gave me a look, pretending to be hurt by the comment. "I was thinking we grab subs?"

"Sure." She pushed herself off the couch. "You coming, Ollie?'

"I guess." My best friend grumbled as we headed out of the Domain.

"C'mon Oliver, chill out. You're acting like a cranky old ma-" I turned around, and to my shock, Oliver had aged even further, "-n."

"Oh my…" Dani stopped, seeing her brother. "Ollie."

"What?" Her brother asked. When neither of us answered, he checked behind him. At first he didn't see anything, but then he caught sight of his reflection in the store's window.

"I've turned into my father! Literally!" He exclaimed. "My gut, my hairline, my desire to dance like this!" He began to do a kind of shuffle, clapping his hands between every movement of his feet.

"Brain Matter's aging power must still be affecting you." Dani realized. "But don't panic, because the way I figure, at this rate, in about an hour you'll be…" She trailed off, doing the calculations in her head. "Dead years old."

"Okay, now you can panic." I advised.

 **Alan's POV**

Eventually, I managed to get the porcupine quills to disappear, and by that time, Geminus had reassured me that the disgusting janitor had been cleaned up.

I walked back into the rec room, looking for one of my magazines. Unfortunately, my uncle was already in there.

I tried to turn around and get out of there before he saw me, but it was too late. "Alan, wait!" He stopped me before I could make my escape. "Listen, listen. I don't need a mind-reader to tell me something's bothering you." I sighed and turned around to face me. "Fortunately, we have a mind-reader on staff, and she told me something's bothering you."

He led me over to the couch, then took a seat across from me. "So, why don't we sit over here and you can confide in me as much as you want. I don't care how long it takes."

Wow, my uncle really seemed sincere about that. But still, I wasn't sure how I felt about this. "There's nothing on my mind." I lied. He nodded and went to get up.

"Well, I gave it my best." He announced.

"Sit." Skylar ordered from behind me, where she tossing a medicine ball back and forth with Geminus.

My uncle sighed and sat back down. Then, he fixed me with a serious gaze. "Alan, please. You can tell me anything. I promise I will always support you without judgement."

I hesitated, then made my decision. "Okay." I took a deep breath. "It's just-"

"AH!" Suddenly, Geminus leapt out from behind my uncle's seat, waving her arms like a crazy person.

I leapt up in surprise, having forgotten that the sidekick liked to duplicate herself for fun. Unfortunately, whatever it was that was happening to me decided to kick in just then, a skunk's tail sprouting out of my behind and spraying most of the room with its fumes.

"Oh, that stinks!" Uncle Horace exclaimed, covering his nose with his hand. Geminus looked at her duplicate and Skylar.

"I think our work here is done." She announced, holding open the door. The duplicate and Skylar left the room, Geminus right on their heels.

"What's happening to me?!" I cried, staring at the tail.

"It's perfectly normal." My uncle assured me, though his voice was pained. "A lot of people with powers develop new abilities at your age."

"They do?" I didn't know that. Uncle Horace nodded.

"Yes. It seems you've inherited your grandfather's ability to morph into animals." He explained. "Now, once you learn to control your power, it'll be very useful."

"So I can get a discount at go kart tracks where animals drive for free?" I asked hopefully. That would be awesome!

"I should take you out more." Uncle Horace decided. "Anyway, you can come to me with problems anytime. Although, if you want to be the strong silent type, that's fine too. You can even be the weak silent type. Any type, plus silent. That's the key."

My uncle smiled at me before heading off. I waited back a while, knowing that I would be even more unpopular if I walked out into the hall still smelling like a skunk.

"Hey." A green mask surrounded by red locks peeked inside. "You mad that I did that?"

"No." I replied, much to Geminus' relief. "Thanks for being there for me, both you and Skylar."

"No problem. I'll tell her Skylar you said thanks." She told me, smiling.

"And I know, I smell pretty bad." I commented. She nodded in agreement, wrinkling her nose. "Plus, now there's also the skunk odor."

 **Kaz's POV**

By the time we made it to Mighty Med, things were bad, really bad. "Horace!" I shouted, racing into the hospital. Thankfully, the older man was close by. "Oliver is aging uncontrollably."

As if to prove my point, Dani helped Oliver, now in his nineties, shuffle into the room.

"We've got less than an hour before we lose him!" I exclaimed.

"Where's Brain Matter?" Dani called over her shoulder as she helped her brother onto a nearby bed.

"He's at the airport." My heart sank at those words. "His car's been in long-term parking the whole time he's been frozen. Apparently he owes them 65,000 dollars."

"We have to figure out a way to reverse the aging process, now, before Oliver dies of unnatural natural causes!" I exclaimed.

Horace hastened to give Oliver a quick examine. "He has practically no pulse." He muttered, giving my best friend a sad look. "I guess this is the end, Oliver. At least you lived to a ripe old age."

"What are you talking about?" Oliver demanded. "I lived to fifteen, and then, like, one more day!"

I grit my teeth in frustration. Oliver had minutes left, and I couldn't think of anything to help. And judging by the distraught look on her face, Dani didn't either.

"This is all your fault, Horace!" I snapped, needing to blame someone for this. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't tried to fix Brain Matter!"

"You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs." He retorted.

"Omelet." Dani repeated, grabbing my arm.

"Now's not the time for a snack, Dani." I told her before glaring at Horace. "It wasn't worth the risk!"

"Kaz!" Dani grabbed my wrist, forcing me to face her. "Omelet!' I looked at her, confused. "Eggs!"

It clicked at those words. "That's genius!" I exclaimed. She beamed.

"Ollie, don't move!" She shouted, sprinting at full speed towards the rec room.

"I'm ninety! Where am I going to go?" Oliver retorted.

"Florida?" Horace suggested.

"You're going to be fine, Oliver. I promise." I assured my best friend as Dani came racing back into the room, her hands cupped together tightly.

"Heritos already hatched, so the caterpillar eggs will have to work." She announced. I grabbed a clean bowl and handed it to her.

"It might be a longshot, but we think eggs might be the solution." I explained to Horace as Dani cracked the caterpillar eggs on the side of the bowl, their insides dripping down to the bottom.

"I understand. We're going to make Denver omelets."

"No, when Brain Matter had the power to turn things younger, he zapped my caterpillars and they transformed into those." I gestured at the last of the tiny eggs in Dani's hand. She ran over to Solar Flare to quickly get the eggs cooked so that they were at least a little edible. "Maybe the eggs are still affect by some of that power."

"And if they are," Dani continued, running back over to us with the bowl of eggs, "eating them might turn Ollie younger."

"That just might work." Horace agreed. "But if it doesn't, then Denver omelets?"

"Sure." Dani agreed, in no mood to discuss this, as she sat down on the edge of Oliver's bed. "Hey, I need you to eat these."

"What is it?" He grumbled tiredly.

"You don't want to know." She replied honestly before tipping the bowl into his mouth. He gulped down the eggs with a disgusted look on his face.

"Now we just hope it works." Dani said breathlessly, stepping away from him.

"It will work." I promised her, hoping that I wasn't wrong.

Thankfully, the eggs did their magic, and quickly. In a matter of seconds, Oliver had reverted back to the age of fifteen.

"You two saved his life!" Horace exclaimed, then frowned. "But you didn't make me an omelet."

"Uh oh." Dani called our attention back to Oliver. The eggs had worked a little too well, as he was now five years old again. "Meh, it's better than being dead."

"Kaz, Dee, thank you for saving me, but I do not want to be five again. You need to change me." Oliver told us seriously.

I nodded. "Okay, buddy. We'll work on it." I agreed.

"No, I mean, you need to _change_ me." He looked down in embarrassment. "I'm not potty-trained yet."

"Not it!" Dani exclaimed quickly, bolting out of the room.

 **Xxx**

After having one of the nurses change Oliver for us, Dani and I set him up in a booster seat while we tried to figure out the solution.

"I got it." I announced, peeling a tangerine I'd gotten from the main part of the E.R. "So, this is a tangerine I got from the plant Brain Matter grew earlier. I figure, if the eggs were able to de-age you, then a bite of this should age you up to your normal age."

Oliver nodded and allowed me to pop a slice of tangerine into his mouth. He quickly began to age, breaking the booster seat in the process, but stopped at fifteen – the age we were hoping for.

"Awesome!" Oliver grinned, looking down and realizing that he was the right age.

"So good to have you back, Ollie." Dani helped him up, giving him a quick hug.

"Good to be back." He replied. I smiled.

"Now we can focus on what's really important." I announced. Oliver nodded.

"Like trying to enjoy every day as we live it, instead of wishing we were older all the time?" He guessed.

"No." I replied. "Playing unrated, nightmare-inducing games like Unbridled Mayhem."

I laughed, quickly sliding the game into the player and sitting down on the couch. Dani and Oliver sat on either side of me, one waiting impatiently for her turn, and the other already bored of the game.

"Hey," Alan chose that moment to walk in, "what are you-AH!"

Now, I was expecting his scream at the sight of the bloody game, but I don't think any of us expected him to transform into a butterfly.

"What just happened?" Oliver questioned. Dani shook her head.

"Just when I think this place can't get any weirder." She muttered. I grinned.

"You guys know what that is?" I asked. They both shook their heads. "My new biology lab."

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: So what did you guys think? Good, bad? In between? I want to know! Anyway, here's the update dates for the next few chapters, but again, I mention, they might come early.**

 **August 15** **th** **– Night of the Living Nightmare**

 **August 22** **nd** **– Mighty Mad**

 **August 29** **th** **– Copy Kaz**

 **Anyway, I guess I'll see you all next time!**


	13. Night of the Living Nightmare

**Kihonne: Hey, how you all doing today? I hope you're having a good day, and if not, I hope this early chapter cheers you up! Anyway, I won't babble for too long, and I'll get to the chapter in a minute, but first, it's shoutout time.**

 **Xxx**

 **TheatreChristianManiac: I'm glad you enjoyed it. No, the last chapter was set nowhere near the crossover. If my calculations are correct, then Growing Pains would have happened around the same time as You Posted What? And you're right, the superhero world in general didn't know much about the bionics. However, S-1's video of the lab rats went viral. While most heroes would have no reason to even know about the video, it doesn't make sense to me that the heroes who spend most of their time in the Normo world, such as Alivia, wouldn't have even heard about the video. It honestly surprised me that Oliver knew nothing about the bionic superhumans, even though the rest of the Normo world appeared to. And no, Growing Pains was not an original chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **LabGirl2001: I'm glad you and enjoyed them! And which new ship are you referring to? Just curious. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Avaoreo1112: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and I'm glad my explanation cleared things up a bit. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter just as much!**

 **FangirlIsh13: Lol, I love your enthusiasm. I think the shipping name we're going with is Kani, but it's really up to the readers. I'm so glad you like Calla so much – she's my proudest creation. She's the person I'd like to be one day, and Challa is one of those special pairings, isn't it? And yeah, they are a bit like Percabeth. And OMG, did you love the Hidden Oracle as much as I did? It was incredible, and since I'm a major Leo fan, the ending was kinda cool too. Anyway, you won't have to wait too long for Kaz and Dani's relationship to hit it off. I'm certainly not going to draw it out the way I did with Challa. Not that I regret doing so with them – it worked well for those types of characters, but probably wouldn't for characters as impulsive as Kaz and Dani. I'm glad you're a fan of Alivia too. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Oliver: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Dani's POV**

"Alright, Clone Master, it looks like that fracture is healing up quite nicely." I sent a smile at the older superhero before glancing down at his chart. I quickly wrote some things down on a slip of paper. "You're free to go, but remember to pick up these painkillers before you sign out."

"Thank you, Dani." He replied, accepting the prescription paper with the hand that wasn't encased in a plaster cast. I nodded.

"I'll tell Gem you're leaving." I offered, heading off to find my best friend. I found her, Kaz, and Ollie looking at my brother's phone, video-chatting with Jordan. "Hey Jordan."

"Hey Dani." Our friend greeted before getting back to the conversation she'd been having with the others. "So, are you guys coming to the Gargoyles and Goblets tournament at the Domain tonight? Anyone who's no one is going to be there."

"Oh, is that Jordan?" Skylar asked, walking up behind us with a grin. "Hey Jordan!"

"Oh, is that Connie?" Jordan asked in false-enthusiasm before hanging up the call. Skylar looked a little hurt.

"I'm sure I'm just imagining it, but sometimes I get the feeling that Jordan doesn't like me." She mentioned.

"Don't be silly." Kaz told her. "You're not imagining it; she can't stand you."

"It's true." I agreed before turning to Alivia. "Clone Master's checking out, by the way."

"Oh, thanks." Alivia nodded before heading off to go see her father.

"How can she not like me?" Skylar demanded, stunned.

"Don't take it personally, Skylar. Jordan doesn't like anyone." Ollie assured her, trying to help. "She's throwing a 'sour sixteen party'. Nobody is invited."

"But everyone has to like me!" Skylar insisted as we went over the charts of another hero. "I'm Skylar Storm! I was adored by millions! So I swear, by the sacred rings of Caldera, I shall not rest until Jordan is, like, totally my BFF!"

And with a determined look on her face, Skylar waltzed out of the hospital, heading for the Domain. "Well, that's going to go well." I commented sarcastically.

Suddenly, all of our phones beeped at the same time, letting us know that we could leave. "Finally." Ollie muttered, exhausted. "I can't wait to go home and sleep until Monday. I don't know how I let you guys talk me into watching the entire Marvel series marathon last night."

"Oh, please." I rolled my eyes. "You loved it as much as we did."

"Kids." Horace walked over to us. "I need you to work the night shift, which means you won't sleep 'till Monday."

"But Horace, we're exhausted." I protested.

"And what are we supposed to tell our parents?" Ollie added. "Dani and I can't exactly tell our mom that we work here."

"Just tell her that you guys are sleeping at my house." Kaz suggested. Horace nodded.

"Oh, I get it. Then you'll tell your parents that you're sleeping at Oliver and Dani's house." He guessed.

"Don't have to – my parents have eleven kids. They won't even notice I'm gone." Kaz replied, shrugging.

"Alright then." Horace went to leave, then turned back to us. "Oh, and one more thing; you may have heard that the night shift can be a bit scary, but you'll be fine." He assured us. "Unless a once in a lifetime lunar eclipse causes the most horrifying night ever. But what are the odds tonight?"

"Hey, are you guys excited for the lunar eclipse tonight?" Alivia asked, walking up to us. We looked at her, then at Horace.

"Apparently, 99 out of 100." The man informed us before walking away to deal with another patient.

 **Kaz's POV**

Bored. I was bored. I was very, very bored, but no one seemed to care.

I spun around on top of one of those twistable stools, trying to entertain myself. There were hardly any patients, and none that needed medical attention at that moment. Oliver was going through some old files, Dani was copying some of her brother's homework, and Alivia was busy texting Jaime.

"Ugh, nothing's happening!" I complained loudly, hoping for some attention. "Who thought a lunar eclipse could be so boring? How long have we been here?"

"Six minutes." All three of them answered simultaneously, not a single one of them looking up from what they were doing. I sighed and walked over to Dani.

"Do something with me." I requested.

"Can't, busy. Need to pass math." She replied, glancing back at Oliver's notebook before writing in her own. "Ollie, you need better handwriting."

"You need to start doing your own work." Her brother shot back.

"Why?" She questioned, confused. "We're twins; we share everything. And that includes homework."

Before Oliver could argue with her, the doors to the ER swung open, and an older superhero walked in. He was an older hero, with greying hair and a familiar dark brown uniform with shiny sleeves. I recognized him immediately as Neocortex, a hero with telepathic abilities. Oliver, Dani, and I had met him a few weeks ago, while treating him. As usual, things had gone a little crazy for a time, but even after we got everything settled, I still got the feeling that he didn't like us very much.

"Hey, Neocrotex." Oliver smiled, walking up to the man. "We haven't seen you since that time we almost turned your brain into a nuclear bomb."

"What's wrong?" Dani interrupted Oliver before he could remind Neocortex even further about our past mistakes.

"Whenever I try to read someone's mind, they fall into a daydream-like state." He admitted. "But I was hoping to talk to Doctor ANYONE BUT YOU."

"Yeah, it's his night off." I informed him. "And it's pronounce Aniwon Butchoo."

He rolled his eyes at that, apparently not caring. "Well, you're in luck. We just got a device that allows us to create a mind-link that will allow us to see into a patient's mind and diagnose their medical mysteries."

"Why don't you let me show you what's been happening." Neocortex insisted, obviously impatient. Oliver stepped away before he could try.

"Don't try it on me! What if you fry my brain?" He demanded. "Try it on someone who serves no function."

"I serve no function. What do you need?" Philip, the large-headed nurse, offered, walking up to us in hopes of being useful.

"Just put this on." Dani told him, handing him one of the three metal helmets designed to create mind-link. I took another one off the table and put it on my own head, adjusting the size easily. "We just to see if this will let us see what's going on inside that head of yours."

"Okay," he slipped on the metal helmet, "but don't make fun of my head. We all know it's embarrassingly tiny."

Neocortex looked Philip in the eye, using his abilities, just as Oliver hit a button on a remote. Suddenly, my vision changed completely, a sharp image of Philip, dressed in a tuxedo, accepting a golden trophy for having the biggest head in the universe. I could hear applause coming from somewhere I couldn't see as Philip thanked them. "You like my head, you really, really like my head." He cried joyfully.

Then the image disappeared, and I was back in Mighty Med. Philip pulled off the helmet with a disappointed look on his face. "It was only a daydream?" He demanded. "How could a head so small be filled with dreams so big?"

"Thanks Philip." Dani took the helmet from him and he walked away, thinking hard about his daydream. I grinned as I handed my helmet over to her.

"That was cool." I grinned at her before turning to Neocortex. "You're causing people to get lost in their greatest fantasies. Using this thing is like reading Oliver's diary, only interesting."

"I need to figure out how to cure Neocortex." Oliver muttered, thinking. "And, also, how to work that tiny lock on my diary."

"What? Don't fix him!" I protested. "We finally have something fun to do!"

I looked around for a target, and saw Lizardman walking through the hall. "Oh, do Lizardman! I bet his fantasy is Godzilla, but, like, a really hot Godzilla in a bikini!"

Lizardman stopped to consider that, nodding happily at the thought after a moment.

 **Dani's POV**

"So these things work like three ways?" Kaz questioned, looking at the third helmet. I nodded.

"Horace got an extra so that we could have two doctors working on the patient, since it's better to have a second opinion." I replied, placing one on my head. "The two of them with black dot on the back are for viewing what's going on inside someone's head, and the one with the red dot on the back is to be placed on the head of the person we want to see inside the head of."

"Like Oliver." Kaz added, grinning. I glanced at my brother, who was speaking to Neocortex.

"Definitely." I agreed, handing him the two remaining helmets. He put the correct one on his head, then began to sneak up on Ollie. I walked slowly behind him, not wanting to give ourselves away.

"During your battle with the Re-Atomizer, you must have scrambled the neural-connections in your brain." He was saying, writing some notes down on the hero's chart. Kaz slowly lowered the helmet on to my brother's head.

"Put him in a trance!" Kaz hissed, but Ollie ducked out from under the helmet before giving Kaz a look.

"You are really bad at whispering." He informed him before going back to his patient. Kaz nodded.

"I know!" He agreed in the same loud-whisper tone. I rolled my eyes and looked around to see if there was anyone else we could use this on. As far as I could see, there were only a couple of nurses working, Alley Cat, who was fast asleep in a bed, and Alivia, who was playing games on her phone.

"Okay, question: if you were just going to play on your phone all-night, why'd you insist on staying up with us?" I asked, walking over to the Irish girl. She shrugged.

"Well, usually I go visit Jaime on weekends, but she's helping the police with a bank robber, so I doubt there'd be time to do anything together, and sitting here is better than sitting at home doing nothing."

"Fair enough." I agreed. I was about to ask her what game she was playing when a wave of blue-ish green energy floated across the room, covering us in a sort of mist. "What was that?"

"Uh, that was me." Neocortex raised his hand as the mist evaporated. I yawned, suddenly feeling a bit worn down. Alivia followed suit. "I farted, and then that happened."

Soon, everyone in the room was stifling yawns. "Your phsycic burst must have raised everyone's melatonin levels." Ollie decided.

"Meaning?" Kaz questioned, yawning.

"We're all getting drowsy." Ollie explained. "We need to find a way to cure Neocortex before he gets worse."

"Let's not rush to cure anybody." Kaz retorted. "Who are we to say who lives and who gets their privacy invaded for my amusement?"

"And-" I was about to add something to his comment, but was interrupted by Neocortex.

"What's wrong with Alley Cat?" He demanded, concern lacing his tone. Looking over, I could see the female cat-themed superhero twitching in her sleep, tossing and turning relentlessly. I got out of my chair, heading towards her, but Kaz got to her before anyone else could, slipping the mind link helmets onto both of them. After a moment, he let out a relieved breath.

"She's just having a nightmare. Instead of jumping from building to building and landing on her feet like she's used to, she's falling into a bottomless pit. It's a very calm and harmless-AHHH!" He suddenly screamed, a horrified look on his face as Alley Cat went limp. "Okay, that bottomless pit? Turns out it had a bottom."

Suddenly, the machines attached to Alley Cat started beeping, then a long, high-pitched sound came from, signaling that she had no heart-beat. Ollie grabbed her wrist as Kaz removed his helmet. "She has no brain-activity." I announced, looking at the machines.

"And no pulse." My brother added, eyes wide. "That means she's-"

"Dead." We turned to see Horace standing a few feet behind us, plugging his cell phone into a charger. "I forgot my phone charger here, and now my cell is dead. What's going on?"

"Neocortex's powers are malfunctioning and now Alleycat is dead." My brother worried. Kaz and I both sighed, knowing that he'd have forgotten one of the best things about the hero. As we expected, seconds after Ollie announced her passing, Alley Cat shot straight up, breathing heavy and looking around in confusion as her vitals returned to normal.

"Uh, was dead." I corrected.

"Fortunately, one of her powers is that she has nine lives." Kaz explained, gently lowering her back into the bed. "So, she's got eight lives left."

And as luck would have it, a ceiling light chose that moment to fall onto the woman, killing her instantly.

"Seven lives left." I corrected, pushing the light off her just as she came back to life once more.

"So instead of putting people into fantasies, now you're putting people into nightmares?" Ollie questioned Neocortex incredulously.

"And when Alley Cat died in her nightmare, she did in real life too." Kaz added. "Is the same thing going to happen to everyone exposed to your powers that falls asleep?"

"That sounds about right." Neocortex agreed.

"Well, this is great." I commented sarcastically. "We need to find a way to cure Neocortex."

"I've been saying that all night!" Ollie exclaimed. I looked at him, frowning.

"Have you? I didn't notice." I shrugged.

"We will find a way to cure him, but until we do, we have to make sure no one here falls asleep." Horace decided. Seconds later, a lullaby-like melody started playing, the tune making us all a little drowsier.

"Whoops." Horace pressed a button on his cell phone, shutting off the music. 'Given the circumstances, that was an unfortunate choice of ringtones."

"Agreed." I nodded. Horace put away his phone, then rushed to wake up Alley Cat.

"We need to keep everyone awake!" He instructed. Kaz immediately ran to the other side of the room, pulling a few heroes off nearby beds. I started going to each of the nurses, checking to make sure they weren't dozing off. Then, I had an idea.

"Hey, Liv. Wanna help?" I turned to the redhead. She nodded, getting up from her seat. "There's a coffee maker in the staff room, and about twenty people here."

"Good idea." She nodded before heading off to start brewing some coffee. I personally wasn't a fan of the drink, but it seemed like a good idea right about now. I walked over to Horace, informing him of the plan, just as Ollie's phone began to beep.

"Crap, it's Mom." He announced. "She's calling me on video chat."

"What's going on?" Kaz asked, coming over to where we were standing.

"Our mom is calling me on video chat." I explained, annoyed. Perfect timing, Mom. As usual.

"We can't ignore it, or she'll get worried and show up at your house, but if I answer it, she'll see that we're here instead." Ollie worried. "We never should have lied to her."

"Don't worry; I planned for this." Kaz reassured us. We looked at him, surprised. What did he have planned? "Commence Operation I Planned for This. Follow me!"

He led us into the rec room, where he had set up a mini-version of his room. There was a twin bed with a large mattress next to it, clothing strewn all over the floor and the bed. There were two sets of pillows and blankets on the mattress next to the bed, obviously trying to make it look like Ollie and I had doubled-up. It looked pretty good, I had to admit, but there was something off about it.

"My mom is never going to believe that this is your room." Ollie stated, looking at it. He looked around, then grabbed a nearby garbage can and dumped its contents onto the end of Kaz's bed. "Okay, now she'll believe it."

"Pretend like you're asleep." I told Kaz before hitting the light switch. Kaz leapt into the bed, grabbing a pillow and shoving it under his head while Ollie and I climbed onto the mattress. We each placed an earbud into our ears, then Ollie answered the call, making sure to keep the camera focused on us.

"Hey Mom." Ollie faked a yawn and I rubbed at my eyes. "You woke us up."

Mom smiled at us from what appeared to be her office. _"I just wanted to check in."_

"We can't really talk right now." I told her. "Kaz is sleeping."

Kaz let out a convincing snore to prove our point. Mom nodded, completely buying our story. _"Alright. Goodnight."_

"Good night." Ollie and I said in unison. Ollie hung up and we both jumped off the mattress, relieved and surprised that Kaz's plan actually worked. "Okay, Kaz. She bought it."

We went to leave, but Kaz was still lying in the bed, making those snoring noises. "Stop fooling around, man." Ollie sighed. I shook Kaz's leg.

"C'mon." I insisted, but he didn't move. Ollie and I stopped, watching him, and soon it became clear that he really was fast asleep. "Kaz, wake up!" I insisted, shoving him rougher. But he didn't move. "Kaz! Ollie!"

"He's really sleeping." My brother said in horror, before shaking Kaz. "Kaz, you have to wake up or you'll die! Kaz!"

 **Xxx**

"Horace!" I shouted, racing into the ER. Ollie was right behind me, pushing the cart we'd managed to get Kaz onto. Our best friend was still out like a light, curled up in a ball on top of the medical cart. "Kaz fell asleep!"

"Here." Alivia offered, helping Ollie lie him down on one of the gurneys.

"Is there any way we could use the mind link devices so we could help him before his nightmare destroys him?" I questioned hopefully. Horace shook his head grimly.

"The lunar eclipse has caused all of our technology to malfunction." He explained. "Even our most important piece of technology; my electric toothbrush. I haven't brushed in over an hour!"

"Well there's got to be some way to help him!" I insisted.

"Neocortex!" My brother pushed past me. "You can project your consciousness into other people's minds, and you can read our minds. Do you think you can combine those powers and project our consciousnesses into Kaz's dream?"

The hero hesitated. "My powers are pretty messed up right now, but I can try. What's the worst that can happen?"

"Oliver and Dani's heads could explode?" Horace guessed. Ollie and I stared at him in horror. Explode?

"Yes, of course, but I meant what's the worst that can happen to me?" Neocortex explained. I took a deep breath and looked at my twin brother.

"We have to. It's Kaz." I murmured. Ollie nodded and looked at Horace, a determined look on his face.

"We can't lose our best friend." He told our boss. "We're just going to have to take that chance."

"C'mon." I climbed up onto a bed to the right of Kaz's, while Ollie laid down on the one on his left.

"Wait, Dani, Oliver, before you do this, in case anything goes horribly wrong…" He looked at us, then grabbed a stack of newspapers from under the counter. "I want to put down these newspapers. I just waxed this floor."

"Just send us in before he says anything else." Oliver requested. Neocortex looked at us.

"You guys care who goes first?" He questioned. We shook our heads, and he motioned for me to lie down. I did so, and closed my eyes. I felt him put his hand on the top of my head, and slowly, but surely, my consciousness faded.

 **Kaz's POV**

I always hated taking tests. I was never good at them. Even if I did study, usually with Oliver's help, my mind would blank the moment the paper would be placed in front of me. But what made this even worse was the empty classroom and the teacher that was prowling around me, waiting for me to screw up or circle the wrong multiple choice.

I looked up briefly from the paper, disheartened that I had no idea what was on it, and glanced at the teacher. Suddenly, the woman changed and grew, becoming Megahertz, Tecton's greatest enemy. I stood up in shock, just as two very surprised screams came from behind me. I whipped around to see Dani and Oliver standing just a few feet behind me, stunned.

"What are you guys doing here?" I demanded.

"Oh, you know, just hanging out." Dani laughed nervously, looking at Megahertz. The supervillain laughed menacingly.

"Class is in session!" He announced. "Today's lesson: electricity."

Megahertz raised his hands and red electricity flew from his fingers. The electricity hit the desks and the other furniture in the room, making them disappear. Even the wall decorations vanished. The only things left in the room were Megahertz, Dani, Oliver, and myself. I looked back at my friends, shocked that Megahertz hadn't hurt us with his electricity.

Megahertz then raised his hands, electricity flowing between them. "Kaz, quick! Think of Megahertz inside a cage!" Oliver shouted.

"What, why?" I demanded, daring to look back at them for one more brief second before turning my gaze back on Megahertz. He was powering up his charge, clearly planning to finish us off.

"Just do it!" Dani insisted. I gave into their pleas, thinking hard about that electric cage we'd once rescued Oliver from, and imagining it around Megahertz. To my genuine surprise, said cage appeared, growing up from the ground and encasing Megahertz in it. Deciding not to question it right then, I raced out of the room and into my school's lobby, Dani and Oliver following right behind.

"How did that happen and what is going on?" I demanded, panicking. I glanced down at my hand, shocked to see that it had turned into a fish. "And why is my hand a rainbow trout?"

I shook my hand in hopes that the fish would disappear. Soon, the fish was replaced by my hand, fingers and all. "Kaz, calm down." Dani told me. "The good news is; this is only a nightmare. None of it's real."

"The bad news, though, is if you die in this nightmare, you'll die in real life." Oliver added.

"What?" I don't know if they were trying to be reassuring, but they certainly we're doing a very good job of it.

"Kaz, this is your dream. You have the power to do anything you think you can do." Dani told me, an unusually serious look on her face. "You just have to focus."

"I can?" I breathed, thinking it over. I nodded, getting an idea. "I know what I have to do."

I closed my eyes and created a clear image in my head. After a moment, I heard Oliver's exasperated sigh. "What is that going to do?"

I opened my eyes and looked down at my clothes, which had been covered with a long, cool, black coat. "It always helps to have a cool coat." I told him, adjusting the collar. Dani rolled her eyes at me, then froze when we heard Megahertz escape from his cage.

"Kaz, quick! Get in the locker!" Dani told me. She and Oliver disappeared then, not giving me the chance to argue. I did as they said, climbing into the locker and closing the door behind me. Almost immediately, another locker door appeared in front of me. I stepped through it, finding myself at another part of the hallway. I shut the door behind me, then heard another locker slam shut behind me. I spun around and to my horror, saw Megahertz storming towards me, a furious look on his face.

He created a ball of electricity in his hands and threw it directly at me. I instinctively leapt into the air, my jump so powerful I flew several feet up, and managed to do a backflip before landing gracefully on my feet. I grinned as adrenaline pumped through my veins, surprised that it actually worked.

Megahertz continued to throw balls of electricity at me, but I jumped into the air, hit the wall, and ran across the lockers, dodging each and every attack. I pushed myself off the lockers, going through the air. My foot hit Megahertz in the back of the head, knocking him forwards a step and giving me the extra boost I needed to land on the stairs.

I went to race up the stairs, but Megahertz stopped me by shooting a ball of electricity a foot in front of me. He then created an axe out of the electricity and threw it at my chest. I did another backflip into the air to avoid it, but Megahertz had been expecting it. He used his electricity to catch me mid-air. He held me there, the electricity sending stabs of pain throughout my entire body.

"Dani! Oliver!" I called, hoping my friends would come to my rescue. "He's too powerful! Help me!"

"We can't." Oliver and Dani appeared on the stairs near me, pained expressions on both of their faces. "We're not really here."

And just like that, they were gone. "You're right. I have to rely on myself."

Then, I had an idea. I had to rely on myself, so I would create a second me. My duplicate stood near the stairs, admiring his outfit. "Dude!" I called when he made no movement to help me out. "I could use a hand here."

"Right." My duplicate nodded. "You got it, Kaz."

He looked at Megahertz, who was too busy focusing on me to notice the other me, then my duplicate teleported beside him, and kicked one of the lockers with all his might. His kicked pushed that part of the lockers backwards, and the other end slid forwards, knocking Megahertz into a nearby wall. Then my duplicate used his powers – because if I can do anything, I am totally giving myself superpowers – to psychically push another wall into Megahertz, flattening the villain between the two walls.

The force of the blow managed to weaken Megahertz long enough for me to escape his electric grasp, and I landed on the ground in the middle of the room. My duplicate raced back over to me, grinning. Just then, Megahertz pushed away the second wall, and turned to face us. He raised his hands, which had mysteriously turned into rocket launchers, and launched two rockets, one targeting each of us.

My duplicate and I merely raised our hands, stopping the rockets a few feet away from our faces without breaking a sweat. Megahertz froze, surprised that we were able to do that. I looked at my duplicate and we exchanged grins before sending the rockets straight back at him. He didn't get the change to mount any type of defense, and the rockets hit him dead on, destroying him in an explosion of blue lightning and smoke.

I looked at my duplicate, smirking. "That," I said.

"Was," He said.

"AWESOME!" I exclaimed, as my dream disappeared and I found myself sitting in a hospital bed at Mighty Med. Dani and Oliver were on beds on either side of me, slowing getting up.

"Kaz is alive!" Horace beamed as we all climbed out of our beds. "Well done!"

I turned to Dani and Oliver and gave them each a hug. "Thanks for saving me, guys."

"We got each other's backs, right?" Dani smiled at me, her hand on my arm. Oliver nodded.

"We'd do it again. Just say the word." He promised. I frowned, having always found that expression confusing.

"What word?" I questioned. Oliver and Dani both thought about it.

"I don't know. Help, I guess?" Oliver shrugged.

"Before we start celebrating, we have a problem." Neocortex told us. "Everyone's asleep."

We looked around, horrified to realize he was right. Everyone in the room was fast asleep. Even Alivia was down for the count, her face buried in her arms as a tray of coffees went cold beside her.

"Sorry. My party horn broke and this shoe horn makes no noise whatsoever." Horace tried blowing on a black shoehorn. "See?"

"We have to go into their nightmares and save them!" I insisted.

"There's not enough time." Dani said in a distraught voice.

"There's nothing we can do but hope for a miracle." Oliver told us.

"Miracle? For what?" Alivia raised her head drowsily, her mask askew on her face. To our surprise, the other staff members and patients in the room began to awaken, yawning tiredly.

"That was easy." Oliver commented. Dani nodded.

"The lunar eclipse must have ended." She decided. Neocortex looked around.

"The lunar eclipse must have been what was messing with my powers, because I can read minds again." He turned on me to test it. After a moment of focusing, he gave me a look. "You're bored again, aren't you?"

"So bored!" I agreed. "Nothing cool has happened in, like, twenty seconds!"

"C'mon. Let's go see if we can find something to do until our shift is over." Dani sighed, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me away from the main part of the ER. I glanced at my watch, and to my surprise, I realized that we were only a few hours into our 12-hour night shift. I grinned; if that much excitement had happened in only three hours, who knew what kind of fun we could get into during the rest the rest of the night?

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? You know that I love reviews, and the more reviews I get, the more of a chance there will be of an early update. Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few updates:**

 **August 22** **nd** **– Mighty Mad**

 **August 29** **th** **– Copy Kaz**

 **September 5** **th** **– Free Wifi**

 **Anyway, let me know what you thought of the chapter, and I will see you next week!**


	14. Mighty Mad

**Kihonne: Alright folks, I'm back! Sorry about the sudden break between chapters. It wasn't planned, I promise, but I had a nasty concussion and didn't feel up to working on my laptop for a bit. I hope you understand. Anyway, let's get onto the chapter, shall we?**

 **Xxx**

 **LabGirl2001: I wasn't sure either, but Dani and Kaz seem to be the most likely choice. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **FangirlIsh13: I'm glad you liked it. I wasn't sure how well Kaz's dream would translate, seeing as several part of it were illogical, as most dreams of that nature are. And as for Apollo/Meg, I guess that makes two of us. I mean, they're not my OTP, but I still think they're fairly cute together. You're really going to like how I get them together. As for Dani and Bridget, you do have an eye for detail. Dani's relationship with her mother is quite different than Oliver's, and I will explore that relationship more as the story develops, but for now I will just say that Dani's relationship with her mother will affect her decisions throughout not just this story, but her whole life. As for how it will affect the Mr. Terror arc, it's hard to say, mainly because I intend to alter the Mr. Terror plot slightly, but Dani's reaction to the news might be a little different than you'd expect.**

 **Duggie Davenport: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm pumped too, especially for The Power of Seven. I have so many ideas for it, it's going to be even better than The Lab Assistant or The Days of Our Lives. My friends and I are basically nobodies too, at least to everyone else. I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you like this one just as much.**

 **Algernon: I'm glad you liked it, and I'm glad the lab rats reference made sense to you. As for Dani and her mom, you aren't imagining things. Their relationship is complicated to say the least, but that's not to say that Dani doesn't love her mother. I don't want to say too much, because their relationship is impossible to explain in a few sentences, but Dani sees her mother's actions and her words from a much different perspective than Oliver. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Bluejack222: Eventually, yeah, they're going to be pairing. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Avaoreo1112: I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I wasn't sure how well the dream would go over with people, since it wasn't the easiest to make sense of in writing, but I'm glad that people liked it. And believe me, I sympathize with having to get shots. I'm not the biggest fan of going to the doctors in general, but I hope things went well. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

 **KaciLoves: I won't be doing Lab Rats VS Mighty Med, since I already did that in the Lab Assistant. I spent an entire week working on it non-stop (I had no WIFI and it was the only video I had downloaded on my laptop at that moment). However, I will be posting a special original chapter set a couple of days after the events of Lab Rats VS Mighty Med to replace it, and I think you'll all really enjoy what I have planned.**

 **RR4LIFE: I just love how excited you are about the series. And I do the same thing – I'll watch an episode of Lab Rats and wonder where the hell my characters are before remembering that mine's just a fanfiction. Seriously though, I'm glad you like both stories so much. As for Lester, I figure he never really existed. Zeus forced Apollo to turn into a mortal, then gave him just enough stuff – such as the driver's license – to make sure he'd survive more than a few days on his own. Plus, I think he added the driver's license to torment Apollo with the new mortal name. Anyway, thank you so much for the kind words, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Zephryr: First of all, cool name, seriously. I'm glad you like the stories and the characters. I agree that nothing really major has happened with Dani yet, though I have to blame the plotline for that. The two major things I've always hated about Mighty Med was that they wrapped up their stories in a way that it left little room for OCs to do much other than sass people, but it's also way too comedic to do anything major with. I've always done very well with suspense or drama, but none of that really appears until the season finale. I do have a few major things planned for Dani, but unfortunately, those plans won't appear for a couple of more chapters. You are right about Kaz and Dani's relationship – they are going to be a fair bit more argumentative than Chase and Calla are. As for your review, A, there's no way to review badly, and B, I LOVE getting reviews like this one. A lot of people usually just say 'loved it, update please' but now and then I get a really cool, long one that goes into depth about their opinion on the chapter, the story, or the characters. I really like getting ones like that, because they tell me what I should keep doing, what I should start doing, or what I should probably stop doing. They're a hell of a lot more helpful than the quick one-liner reviews, so please, I encourage you to review again. I'll be looking forward to your reviews. :)**

 **Kittyeight9: Yes, Alivia has a girlfriend, and yes, she is gay. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, or her, but if you're going to dismiss an entire story just because of who she is, then it's your loss, not mine. However, you shouldn't bother waiting for my Elite Force story, because you'll be disappointed to learn that LGBTQ characters will be in that story too. I figured I'd stop you from wasting your time.**

 **ElectroLord72: Patience, young padawan. It has arrived.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Okay, now that I've said my piece and I responded to the reviews, let's go onto the chapter, shall we?**

 **Agent Blaylock: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, and anything else that you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kaz's POV**

The moment I walked into school this morning, I could tell something was different. The atmosphere felt…charged with energy, I guess I would call it, almost like something was about to happen. I might have ignored it, but then I caught sight of Oliver and Dani, two of the closest siblings I'd ever met, about two seconds away from ripping each other's heads off. Seriously, the two were at each other's throats, waving their hands dramatically as they argued about something.

I walked over to Skylar, who was watching the entire thing with raised eyebrows. "Uh, how long have they been like this?"

"Almost twenty minutes now." Skylar informed me. I looked at them, stunned. "Have you ever seen them fight like this?"

"Never." I admitted. "I mean, little arguments are one thing, but I've never seen them actually fight before. What happened?"

"From what I've gathered, Oliver broke a promise, and Dani's not too happy about it." She shrugged. "I really don't know."

"We should probably break them up, right?" She guessed after a moment. I looked back at the twins and decided that they probably weren't gonna stop any time soon.

"Definitely." I agreed, jogging up to my two best friends. I quickly stepped between them, putting my arms around their shoulders.

"Hey, hey, hey!" I said loudly, interrupting their bickering. "We're all friends here, right?"

"Go away, Kaz." Dani retorted, ducking under my arm to open her locker.

"You're so overly sensitive." Oliver muttered, opening his backpack. Dani scoffed at that.

"Yeah and you're-" Skylar cut her off before she could finish.

"What are you two fighting about?" She demanded.

"Butt out, Connie." Dani retorted. Skylar glared at her.

"Don't tell me to butt out!" The alien girl snapped. Dani laughed darkly.

"What are you going to do about? Use your powers on me?" She teased. Skylar looked at her for a moment, then lunged at her. Luckily, I had been expecting it, and pulled Dani out of harm's way before Skylar could rip her head off.

"Ladies, ladies! You're both pretty!" I joked, trying to calm them down. This was ridiculous! I mean, it wasn't like Dani to go so low as to bring up Skylar's powers, but it wasn't like Skylar was trying to avoid that fight either.

"Kaz," Stephanie smiled, smirked, walking over to us. "I'm glad you found someone else to hit on besides me."

She gestured at Dani, whom I was holding around the waist in order to stop her from attacking Skylar. I released her immediately. "I'm not hitting on Dani! Why would I hit on Dani?" I demanded.

"Hey!" The short haired girl exclaimed, glaring at me.

"Dude, don't hit on my sister!" Oliver snapped, pushing between us. Dani pushed him away.

"You don't get to decide who hits on me!" She growled.

"So you were hitting on her!" Stephanie exclaimed.

"No!" I shook my head. "Please, I'd sooner hit on…" I looked around for a nearby girl. "Connie."

Suddenly, Skylar slammed me into the nearest locker, holding me there with one hand. "You were hitting on me?"

"No! I wasn't hitting on you!" I protested, trying to escape, but my words only angered her further.

"So I'm not good enough to hit on?" She demanded, pressing on my collarbone even harder.

"Yeah, Connie's cute!" Oliver agreed. Skylar spun around, grabbing him by the front of his jacket, and shoved him into the locker next to me.

"Who are you calling cute?" She snarled as he stared at her in terror.

"I wasn't saying that you aren't cute, I was saying-" Before I could finish explaining, Connie pushed me back into the lockers.

"Who are you not calling not cute?" She demanded.

"So by negative inference, you are calling her cute!" Oliver realized. "Stop hitting on people!"

"And stop pushing people into lockers!" Dani snapped. "You don't get to treat them like that!"

"Guys, stop it!" I told them, trying to get in between them before they started throwing punches or something.

"Fight, fight, fight!" Gus appeared out of nowhere, trying to start a 'fight' chant just as the substitute teacher, Mr. Patterson, walked into the hall. The man was tall and black, and wearing a jogging suit as his gym teacher uniform.

"Kaz!" The large, overweight gym teacher scolded, pulling me away from both the girls. "Stop picking on Connie and Dani! What's wrong with you, fighting with a couple of girls?"

"We weren't fighting, Mr. Patterson!" I protested. Well, maybe they were, but I wasn't.

"Are you saying I don't know a fight when I see one?" He questioned. Gus grinned.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" The shorter boy began to chant again.

"Oh, so now you want to fight a teacher?" Mr. Patterson demanded.

"I don't want to fight anyone!" I exclaimed in exasperation. How did I get myself mixed up in all of this? I should have just let the girls fight it out and watch them get in trouble! "Gus just keeps saying 'fight! Fight! Fight!'"

"There's a fight? Where?" Gus looked around curiously, then went off in search of said fight.

"What a weird kid." Mr. Patterson muttered before looking back at us. "Alright, you fou-Hey!"

Dani, Skylar, and I turned around just in time to see Oliver turn the corner, having bolt from the hallway.

"Did he seriously just run?" Dani questioned, skeptically.

"Yeah, I, uh, think he did." Normally, I would have laughed at that, the very thought of Oliver running away from trouble amusing me, but I was hardly in the best of moods right now.

"Uh, alright." Apparently, Mr. Patterson hadn't seen that one before. "You three, follow me."

When he led us outside the school and into the courtyard rather than the detention room, I groaned. That meant a physical punishment, like jumping jacks or something. I hated those; at least in detention I could nap or do something equally unproductive.

"This isn't fair! Why isn't Oliver getting in trouble?" I demanded, dumping my backpack on the ground.

"Because he ran away, and they don't pay me enough to chase people." The teacher replied. "Now drop and give me fifty sit-ups."

"Fine." I sat down on the ground between Skylar and Dani. "I'll do one and they can split the other 49 between themselves."

"Fifty each." Mr. Patterson clarified. I stared at him.

"Fifty each?!" I exclaimed in protest. Was this man trying to kill us or something?

Dani and Skylar both started doing their sit-ups quickly, not saying a word while they did so. I was half-way through my first when I glanced over at Mr. Patterson, who had his back turned to me. He took a step forward and disappeared through the doors, and I don't mean he opened the doors and walk through the door way. I mean he actually walked through the doors, as if they weren't there at all. I stopped in shock, staring. Then it all clicked.

The strange atmosphere in the air, everyone's ridiculously bad moods, and the walking through things…the only person who could do all that was the super villain Dr. Wrath. "Did you just see that?" I demanded. "Mr. Patterson just passed through those solid doors."

Both girls paused, but while Dani looked towards the doors with a considerate expression, Skylar just rolled her eyes. "I think you're hallucinating from the strain of your one sit-up."

"But it all makes sense. Mr. Patterson is the villain Dr. Wrath, who feeds off of negative energy." I explained. Skylar and Dani both sat up, listening. "Dr. Wrath can pass through matter, and all the fighting at school started when he showed up. He must be instigating the negativity to power himself."

"So the supervillain Dr. Wrath drives a fifteen-year-old car with a bumper missing?" Skylar questioned skeptically.

"It is a bit of a stretch, Kaz." Dani agreed.

"Does he even look like Dr. Wrath?" Skylar added.

"…Actually, no one knows what he looks like; he hides his appearance with a shroud. Not to mention, he always skipped picture day in high school." Dani mentioned, thinking about it. "But I don't know, Kaz."

"Okay, he just left, right? Not ten minutes ago, you two were trying to murder each other. You still feel like doing that now?" I questioned. They both sent each other guilty looks, but didn't answer my question. "See? Mr. Patterson is Dr. Wrath and we have to stop him!"

"Just let it go!" Skylar sighed audibly. "Just because you work at a superhero hospital doesn't make a superhero. Everyone thinks that they can battle evil, just like everyone always thinks they can sing."

"I can sing!" I retorted defensively. "I was getting over a sore throat the day that you heard me! And today, so don't ask."

Dani gave me a sympathetic smile. "No, sweetie, you can't sing."

"And you can?" I challenged. She laughed at that, a short, amused sound.

"No. I sound like a dying walrus when I sing." She admitted. "But at least I'm honest about it."

Suddenly, the doors to the courtyard swung open and Mr. Patterson walked out. "I have to go monitor detention. How many sit-ups have you done?" He questioned. I stood up.

"Uh, let's see. Zero plus zero…carry the zero…Zero." I stated, crossing my arms. Dani grabbed me by the arm, pulling me away.

"What are you doing?" She hissed.

"Getting detention so I can spy on him." I whispered back before turning to Mr. Patterson. "I refuse to do any stupid sit-ups."

"Fine. You know what your punishment will be?" He replied before gesturing at himself. "This in ten years."

"You're only twenty-five?" Skylar demanded, shocked.

"Scary isn't it?" He turned to go back inside, so I rushed to stop him.

"Hey, look at me!" I leaned on the edge of a bike. "I'm loitering."

"There's no rule against loitering. It's school; you're supposed to be here!" Mr. Patterson exclaimed. I tried to think.

"Is there a rule against lettering?" I start creating letters with my arms, just like in the YMCA song.

"Nope." He replied, unamused.

"Laddering?" I tried, climbing up a few steps on a nearby ladder.

"No." He shook his head. I looked around, then caught sight of Skylar's backpack. I raced towards it before she could stop me and dumped its contents on the ground.

"There is a rule against littering!" Mr. Patterson snapped at me before I could say anything. "Detention, all three of you!"

"But-" Dani's protest died in her throat. She turned to glare at me. "Thank you, Kaz."

"You are welcome." I smirked at her. Skylar looked at me.

"How did you take you four tries to get 'littering'?" She questioned incredulously. "There's a sign right there!"

I glanced back at the large red and white sign up on the wall that read 'No Littering' in big, bold letters, then shrugged. "I was too busy loitering, lettering, and laddering."

 **Oliver's POV**

I checked my phone with my left hand as I headed into the rec room at Mighty Med, using my back to open the doors. After our fight this morning, I'd texted my sister to see if she wanted to talk, because though Dani completely over-reacted to what had happened, I was partially to blame as well.

"Hey, Oliver." I looked up to see Alivia and Jaime sitting on the couch, the latter' head resting on the latter's lap as they talked. A plate of pale brown squares sat on a plate on the table, an orangish-red sauce on the side.

"Hey guys." I smiled at them, placing my own lunch – a cheese steak sandwich – on the table. "Hey, Jaime, how's your knee feeling?"

"Better. The physical therapy's helping." The blonde superhero replied, reaching for a square off the plate. Alivia looked at me, a frown on her face.

"So, I've got a question." She looked at me. "Why is Dani, a person who despises guava, looking for places that sell guava?"

I sighed, realizing what my sister was up to. "Her famous strawberry and guava apology smoothies."

"What is she apologizing for?" Jaime questioned, confused.

"We got in a fight." I explained. Alivia raised an eyebrow at that.

"Why?" She waved her hand in a circle, motioning for me to continue.

"I promised her I'd help her with her community service project, and then kinda bailed on her." I admitted guilty.

"Well, I'm sure you had a good reason." She offered. I shook my head.

"I went to see a movie with Skylar." I smiled sheepishly at the looks on their faces. "I made Dani that promise a week ago! I forgot that we were supposed to go to the senior's center last night, and by time I remembered, she'd already gone without me. And I was going to apologize, but she wouldn't listen."

"Yeah, Kaz has a theory about that." Alivia agreed, looking at her phone. Both Jaime and I looked at her. "Long story; he thinks he found a supervillain."

"And what do you think?" Jaime questioned. Alivia smirked.

"Judging by his description of the suspect, I don't think he found a super _villain_." She shrugged. "Oh well, that should be an interesting story to hear about later. Oh, hello Alan."

I looked up to see that Alan had walked into the room. I nodded at him politely, then unwrapped my sandwich, and took a delicious bite out of it. I hummed pleasantly at the taste, savoring the sweetness for as long as I could.

"What are you so happy and annoying about?" Alan questioned, looking at me suspiciously.

"This here is the best thing ever; a cheese steak sandwich from Pierro's." I licked my lips. "I mean, if deliciousness was a crime, this sandwich would be on death row, and ask for this sandwich for its last meal. You want a bite?"

"Are you crazy? I refuse to eat Normo food. My diet consists only of nutrients squares." Alan replied as I continued to chow down on my lunch. "They're the building blocks of a healthy diet."

"And this hospital." Alivia added, nodding at a construction worker. He was repairing the far wall that had been damaged during a game of indoor tetherball with The Crusher (brilliant idea, Dani). To my surprise, he was rebuilding that damaged part of the wall with squares identical to the ones on Alivia and Jaime's plates.

Alan reached forward and grabbed one of them off their plate, much to Jaime's annoyance. The blonde haired superhero sat straight up, glaring daggers at Alan. "Hey! Give that back!"

"Make me." Alan retorted, taking a bite of the crunchy squares, earning an even more hateful look for Jaime. Before the girl could do anything, however, Alivia stopped her, grabbing her around the waist and lying her head on Jaime's shoulder.

"Let it go." She murmured to her girlfriend. "He can have one."

"Fine." Jaime muttered reluctantly, clearly still annoyed. Suddenly, I had an idea.

"Alan!" I grinned at him, much to his confusion. "I have an assignment for my community service class to change someone's life for the better."

"Perfect. You can start by leaving." Alan replied.

"And taking him with you." Jaime added, gesturing at Alan, who gave her a dirty look.

"Can't you guys just get along?" Alivia sighed tiredly.

"No, I'll get you to taste Normo food." I decided, standing up. "I'm about to change your life!"

"What makes you think I want to change my life?" Alan questioned, rolling his eyes at me.

"Common sense?" I replied, looking at him. He thought about it. "Here; just try a bit of my cheese steak."

Alan physically pulled away as I held the food out to him. "What's it made of?" He asked.

"Cheese and steak." I answered, wondering how hard that was to figure out.

"And what are those made of?" He insisted.

"Uh, well…steak is the cooked flesh of a dead cow, and cheese is coagulated curds of milk which is the white fluids created by a cow's utters…" I wrinkled my nose in disgust, suddenly losing my appetite. "You know; I think I'm starting to understand why my sister's a vegetarian."

 **Kaz's POV**

Dr. Wrath led us into the detention room. A couple of students – Rhys from Biology and Gus – were already inside. Rhys was fast asleep at his desk, his head buried in his arms, while Gus was writing on the white board. Unhappy with what he saw, Dr. Wrath gestured at three empty desks near Rhys, then went to confront Gus. Connie and I sat down in the two near the front, with Dani right behind me and next to Rhys.

"Gus, I told you to write 'I will not start fights' one hundred times!" The overweight man snapped at the shorter boy. Glancing past him, I could see the words 'I will not start fights 100 times' written on the white board in Gus' messy scrawl.

"I did!" He protested. "And for the record, I've only started fights ninety-seven times."

Choosing to ignore that, I turned to Skylar and Dani, already formulating a plan. "Alright, I'm going to go through Dr. Wrath's stuff for evidence, but I'm going to need you guys to create a distraction."

"How?" Skylar questioned. Dani smirked.

"I got this." She assured us, turning around to face the front. We followed suit, looking towards the front as Dr. Wrath adjusted a wall picture. After a moment, Dani got up, and suddenly, pushed Rhys's desk over, throwing the slumbering boy to the ground.

"Connie!" She exclaimed as Rhys looked around in confusion. "Stop picking on Rhys! If you have an issue, use your words!"

"Seriously?" The Calderan hissed, glaring daggers at Dani.

"Really? Now I have to walk all the way over there?" Dr. Wrath complained. "Fine!"

The girls started to argue about who had pushed Rhys out of the seat, though I couldn't tell how much of it was pretend and how much of it was fake, earning themselves Dr. Wrath's complete and undivided attention. I took advantage of the opportunity and snuck over to the teacher's desk. I was about to go through the drawers when I caught sight of a brown duffle bag that just had to be Dr. Wrath's.

The contents of the bag confirmed my theory. I found a large, dark brown coat, which on its own wasn't that suspicious, and a strange looking, handheld high-tech weapon. No way would any Normo be able to get his hands on something like this, let alone a teacher. So Mr. Patterson WAS Dr. Wrath!

"I can't believe it." I murmured, turning the weapon over in my hands.

"I know!" I looked up to see Gus standing a few feet away from me, staring at the whiteboard. While we'd all been focusing on Dr. Wrath, Gus had recreated a famous Da Vinci painting with nothing but a pack of everyday white board markers. Even I was impressed by the image, but didn't have time to comment on it. I had to tell Skylar and Dani what I'd found.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Alan!" I called, walking into the ER, carrying a large pizza box in my hands, the sweet scent of the meat lover's floating through the air. I found him sitting at one of the nurse's computers in the ER. Conveniently, he had a plate of those nutrients squares sitting directly in front of him. "New plan! Pizza!" I announced, placing the box on the counter and opening it up to reveal the food inside. "If you try a slice of this, I'll try one of your…dry wall squares."

Alan nodded thoughtfully. "That seems fair."

I nodded and grabbed one of the nutrient squares off the plate. Looking at it suspiciously, for it felt just like construction material, I took a hesitant nibble off the corner. As expected, it was hard and flavorless, and tasted like hardened sand. I gagged at the taste, but true to my word, I forced myself to swallow the tiny bite before looking back at Alan. He looked at me eagerly, waiting for my opinion.

I forced a fake smile onto my face. "Mmm…" I hummed, despite myself. "You can just taste the lack of seasoning and the chalky texture and the hint of…" I pulled something from my lips, "…fur." Gross. "Now, it's your turn."

"Oh, I'm not eating that." Alan retorted, shaking his head. I stared at him.

"We made a deal; you said it was fair!" I exclaimed.

"I said 'it seems fair'!" Alan snapped back before trying to walk away. I followed him, confused.

"Dude, everybody likes pizza. Why are you being so stubborn?" I questioned.

"I heard about a superhero who ate Normo food once, and turned into an elderly Chinese woman." Alan responded, his tone worried. "Which was weird, because she used to be an elderly, Brazilian woman."

I rolled my eyes at that; I'd asked Alivia earlier about the nutrients squares and while she had told me the same story, she'd also told me that many, many superheroes eat Normo food without consequence. "That's just an urban legend." I assured Alan. He frowned, confused.

"What's an urban legend?" He questioned.

"It's a rumor that people say happened, but isn't actually true." I explained. "Like how there are tons of alligators living in the New York City sewers."

Of course, Lizardman would choose that time to walk into the ER, having just returned from his vacation to the Big Apple. Instead of his usual cloak, he was wearing a white t-shirt with the words 'I love NY sewers' on it in bold, black letters. He handed Alan a slip of paper, nodded to me in greeting, then continued on his way. "That was a bad example." I admitted as we watched him go.

 **Kaz's POV**

Unfortunately, after Dani and Skylar's little performance, Dr. Wrath had separated the three of us. Both girls ended up sitting on either sides of the classroom, making it impossible for me to tell them what I'd learned without tipping off the supervillain to my discovery.

By the time that the bell had rung to signify the end of the detention, a whole two hours later, I was fed up. I should just confront him and get it over with. After all, what's the worst that can happen?

"Okay, detention's over." Dr. Wrath announced, staring at Gus as he dragged the whiteboard out of the classroom with him, intending to show his parents his masterpiece.

"Goodbye Mr. Patterson." Skylar replied as she got up, shouldering her bag. Dani walked up to me, her own backpack slung over her shoulder, but I stepped up to Dr. Wrath, smirking.

"Yeah, goodbye Mr. Patterson…or should I say, Dr. Wrath?" I slammed my hands down on his desk, staring the man straight in the eyes.

"Uh, no you shouldn't." Skylar told me, trying to pull me out of there before I got myself in over my head, but I wasn't going to leave until I proved that I was right about him being a supervillain.

Dr. Wrath just stared at me, a falsely confused look on his face. "What do you think, Mr. Patterson?" I asked, referring to Skylar's comment. "Or should I say, Dr. Wrath?"

"What are you talking about?" Dr. Wrath feigned innocence.

"I think you know very well what I am talking about, Mr. Patterson." I retorted, before adding, "or should I say, Dr. Wrath?"

"You've already said that three times, and I am no doctor, as my mother reminds me every day." He replied, still trying to pull off his act. I raised an eyebrow, deciding to try a different tactic.

"Oh yeah?" I mused, walking around the side of the desk and reaching for his bag. I lifted it onto the desk and began pulling out its contents. "Then, if you're not Dr. Wrath, how do you explain this shroud and this…" I looked at the silvery blaster thing again "…thing?"

"Now you listen to me, punk." Dr. Wrath stood up, looking at us fiercely. "You're getting yourselves involved in something very dangerous-"

He reached forward for the high-tech weapon, and I reacted instantly, pulling the trigger in my surprise. A blue blast exploded from the end, hitting him right in the chest. Instead of knocking him out or anything, though, it just froze him in place.

"I did it." I laughed in surprise before glancing at Dani. "See? I told you I could stop-"

"Agent Blaylock of the Superhero Secret Service Division?" Skylar interrupted me. She was looking at what appeared to be a shiny gold badge in one of those badge-wallet things. I frowned, taking the badge from her and looking it over.

"I didn't know there was a Superhero Secret Service Division." I said, confused.

"That's because it's a secret." Dr. Wrath, correction, Agent Blaylock growled, glaring at me angrily.

"That explains why you can walk through walls." Dani realized.

"Yes." Agent Blaylock confirmed it. "And I know the three of you are from Mighty Med. That's why I tried so hard not to give you detention, but you were just too annoying."

I chuckled, nodding at the statement. "To be fair, that's what I do."

"I tracked Dr. Wrath to this school. I found his shroud this morning, and that's my neural-incapacitator." Agent Blaylock explained.

"Wait, if you're not Dr. Wrath, then who is?" I questioned, placing the neural-incapacitator down on the desk next to me.

"I am." We all (with the exception of Agent Blaylock) spun in time to see Stephanie walk through the closed door, a cocky smirk on the blonde's face.

"Wow, I did not see that coming." I admitted. She wasted no time, walking towards us and swiping the neural-incapacitator off the desk and aiming it at us. In three quick blasts, Skylar, Dani, and I were frozen solid, none of us able to move a muscle except in our faces.

"I take it you didn't see that coming either, did you?" Dani questioned, our shoulders touching.

Stephanie, the REAL Dr. Wrath, set to work quickly, getting rid of Agent Blaylock by sliding his frozen body out the door.

"I can't believe you're Dr. Wrath." I commented. "Although, it does kinda make sense because you are the most negative person on the planet."

"But why would you hide in a high school?" Dani questioned, confused. "I don't see the point."

"Well, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." Dr. Wrath admitted. "So I'm totally going to tell you! My power comes from feeding on negative energy."

I smirked. "I know. I'm kinda an expert on Dr. Wrath."

Dani let out an annoyed groan, to my surprise. "Oh my gosh, would you stop flirting with her? She's the villain!"

"I wasn't flirting with her!" I retorted. Just because I wanted to boast about my extensive knowledge on a lesser-known villain in the superhero world didn't mean I was flirting.

"You totally were!" Dani snapped.

"Would you two shut up?" Skylar interrupted me before I could respond.

"As I was saying, high school is filled with drama and jealousy." Dr. Wrath began moving us around, pushing Skylar and Dani into positions so we were all back to back. "It's easy to create negative energy. But it's not enough. So, I'm building an ionic reactor in the chemistry lab."

"What good will that do?" I questioned.

"It will create limitless negativity in people all over the world!" Dr. Wrath proclaimed.

"What good will that do?" I repeated my question.

"Feeding off all that negativity will make me so powerful, I'll be the leader of a beautiful planet full of hate." She beamed proudly.

"Yeah, that makes sense." I admitted.

"Luckily, Kaz disabled Agent Blaylock before he could stop me. He's been hot on my trail." Oops. "And what's worse is he made me do, like, three sit-ups!"

"He made us do fifty!" I protested.

"You barely did one!" Dani and Skylar both shouted at the same time, effectively shutting me up.

"I'm going to go fire up the reactor." Dr. Wrath decided. "And then I'll deal with the three of you. But first, since you won't be completely immobile for much longer-" She raised her hands and a large, brightly glowing, gold chain shot out of the palm of her hand, wrapping itself around us tightly.

"Oh, and by the way? That chain totally clashes with your outfit." She sneered at Skylar before walking out without a second glance.

"Damn, these are tight." I wriggled as much as I could in an attempt to slide out of the massive chains.

"This is all your fault, Kaz!" Skylar accused, also struggling against the chains. "If you hadn't tried to be a hero, Agent Blaylock would have stopped her!"

"Ah!" I gasped as the chains grew tighter, squishing Skylar, Dani, and I together painfully.

"The chain is getting tighter!" Skylar exclaimed.

"No shit, Sherlock!" Dani retorted, squirming, her voice strained. "Alright, Mr. I-Know-Everything-About-Dr-Wrath, what's happening?"

"They must feed on negative energy just like Dr. Wrath." I told her. "Us being mad at each other is making it stronger. We need to create positive energy. Quick, say something nice about each other."

"Well, if it's the only way to save the Earth…then goodbye world." Skylar muttered as the chains got even tighter.

"Dani, you want to go first?" I tried. Dani just gave me an annoyed glare. As she didn't say anything, the chains didn't grow tighter, but it was obvious that I was going to have to be the bigger person here.

"Fine, I'll go first." I offered, trying to think. "Skylar, I love how you treat everyone at school with respect; you even say hello to the weird kids."

For a brief moment, the chains loosened, then Skylar had to add her two-sense. "Well, I'm not going to just ignore you."

And just like before, the chains tightened. "Skylar!" I groaned.

"Sorry." She apologized.

"Getting a little hard to breathe here." Dani added.

"Alright, uh…you guys have been really cool about letting me hang with you, Alivia, and Oliver. You haven't made me feel like an outcast or tagalong and I appreciate that. You've both really helped me try to fit in."

The chains loosened again. "Keep going." I encouraged them.

"Skylar, you're a really good friend to us. You're kind and warm and loyal, especially to my brother and even though it means we don't spend as much time together as we used to, I'm really glad he's got someone like you in his life." Dani told her. "And I think it's really cool how you adapted so well to another planet without your powers. The way you dealt with everything that's happened to you is amazing."

"I can breathe again." Skylar murmured in relief as the chains got a bit looser. It wouldn't be long before we could get out of them.

"Dani…" I trailed off, not sure of what I was going to say exactly, but the short-haired girl beat me to it.

"I love you." I heard her murmur. I twisted my neck so I could try to get a better look at her, but she kept her head straight. "You…you're my best friend in the world, and you've always been there for me and Ollie when we needed you. You're protective and always there and I love you for it."

Before I could say anything in response to that – although I had no idea what I was going to respond with – the chains shattered, the tiny shards hitting the ground at our feet.

"It worked!" I beamed at them. "Now, was it that hard to say nice things about each other?"

We all exchanged looks before replying. "Yes." "Absolutely." "It was awful."

"C'mon. We have a supervillain to stop." Dani reminded us, already heading towards the door.

 **Xxx**

"She's working on the reactor." Skylar informed us, sneaking away from the window she'd been peeking through. Dr. Wrath was just through that door, preparing to turn everyone in the world against each other.

"Alright, here's the plan." I decided. "Skylar, you distract Stephanie. Dani and I will deactivate the reactor."

"You know how to do that?" Skylar checked, a skeptical look on her face. I nodded.

"Yeah, I read about it in a comic book. I just have to cut the wires. Or cross the wires. Something to do with the wires." I said. Dani chuckled lightly.

"The way I figure, if we smash it enough times, it'll stop working." She shrugged. Skylar nodded, then burst through the door.

"Hey Stephanie!" She called, getting Dr. Wrath's attention. "Or should I say, Dr. Wrath?"

"You should; it's my name." Dr. Wrath replied.

"When she says it, it works." I muttered, annoyed. Dani rolled her eyes.

"C'mon." She grabbed my wrist, pulling me with her into the science lab as Skylar lunged at Dr. Wrath, kicking her in her midsection. It soon became obvious that Dr. Wrath wasn't as skilled at hand-to-hand combat as Skylar was, as the Calderan managed to block every one of Dr. Wrath's blows, and quickly got a few kicks in.

"Cross the wires, or cut them?" I hissed as Dani and I slipped over to the ionic reactor.

"Let's try cutting them." Dani whispered as she flipped open a portion of the metal reactor. Underneath the panel she'd removed were at least thirty wires, all of them different shades of blue, green, white and red. "Here." She handed me a pair of cutters.

"Why are you giving these to me?" I hissed.

"Your plan, you have to do it." She insisted.

"Fine." I snatched the pair of cutters out of her hands and looked up in time to see Dr. Wrath shoot a ball of ice at Skylar. She did a backwards cartwheel to avoid the hit, then a flip in the air to avoid the second one coming her way. I quickly turned back to the wires, trying to figure out which one to cut.

"No, not that one!" Dani hissed at me as I was about to cut one of the red wires. "Never cut the red wire."

"Why?" I demanded, looking at her.

"I've seen the movies; cutting the red wire always ends in a massive explosion!" She whispered as she kept her eyes on Skylar as our friend fought Dr. Wrath. I sighed, then proceeded to cut a couple of the blue and white wires.

"Guys, heads up!" My head shot up at the sound of Skylar's voice, just as Dani pulled me down to the ground. A ghostly white face made entirely out of a mist-like ice zoomed right through where our heads had been. Instead of hitting us – thanks to Dani's quick thinking, neither of us were in harm's way – it hit a glass breaker, shattering it and sending the blue liquid inside spilling over the edge of the counter.

"Uh…" I looked up at the reactor, noticing how it was now glowing brightly. Did I do that? I hope not. "It's gonna blow!"

There wasn't time for us to escape the room, and we all knew that. So, in hopes of protecting ourselves from a massive explosion, Dani and I slid behind a nearby counter, keeping our heads down. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Skylar pushing herself into the corner of the room, trying to get as far from the blast zone as possible.

The room shook violently as waves of energy flew from the device. After a particularly powerful wave of energy shot past our heads, everything seemed to stop. Hesitantly, as I was unsure if the device had really stopped, I climbed to my feet. Dani and Skylar both followed suit, keeping their gazes locked on the reactor.

I held my breath, praying that Dani's idea had worked. "Now the whole world is filled with negative energy!" Dr. Wrath cackled. "And now that it is, I'm going to make you…some popcorn!"

Even Dr. Wrath looked shocked that those words had escaped her lips.

"Wait! Why don't I feel like destroying you?" She demanded, racing over to her ionic reactor to see what had gone wrong. "You reversed the charge! The reactor's producing positive ions! You ruined my plan! I could kiss you for this."

"Don't even think about it." Dani hissed, assuming that I would go for it. Skylar looked at me.

"What did you do?" She questioned. I smirked proudly.

"What I do best." I replied smugly.

"Randomly pushing and pulling things with no actual plan?" Skylar guessed.

"You're welcome." I told her.

"You fools!" Dr. Wrath accused, furious. "With all that positive energy, I have no power!"

Suddenly, Dr. Wrath's body began to morph. In the span of a second, it changed from a pretty, blond-haired teenage girl to a tall, pale, bald man in a black uniform. He (or she?) screamed as his (her?) body began to disintegrated, turning to ash right before our eyes.

As he was destroyed, red sparks started to fly towards the reactor, causing it to glowing brighter and more threateningly. I opened my mouth to say something, to suggest that we move because that thing looked ready to explode, but was cut off by the device actually exploding.

Thankfully, it was a small explosion, only powerful enough to make us duck our heads for fear of being hit with debris. "Wow." I looked around at the mess.

"So, everything goes back to normal?" Dani questioned, frowning.

"Except for Stephanie; she's a pile of ashes." Skylar gestured at the pile on the ground.

"You flirted with that." Dani pointed out.

"I did not flirt with her!" I proclaimed. Why was she focusing so much on that? I mean, c'mon! I glanced back down at the ashes. "I can't believe she's gone, though. Who's going to make me feel bad about myself now?"

"I'll pick up the slack." Skylar offered.

"Jordan would equally be up for the job." Dani added, a little smirk on her face.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Face it, Oliver. You're never going to get him to eat it." Alivia informed, nibbling on a piece of pizza.

"I will so." I retorted.

"How?" Jaime questioned, cocking her head to the side. "You've already tried peer pressure, talking to him like a baby, and tackling him to the ground."

"Well, this is going to work for sure." I insisted as Mesmira, the superhero famous for her hypnotic abilities, walked towards us. "Alright, time to get this show on the road."

I grabbed what was left of the pizza off the counter and led Mesmira into the rec room, where Alan was using his telekinesis to do 'mental bench-presses'. Alivia and Jaime both followed us in, sitting down on the couch to watch this all unfold.

"Mesmira, thanks again for agreeing to hypnotize Alan for me." I told the hero as she pulled back her sleeves, revealing the eyeball in the palm of her hand. "And sorry, again, for poking you in the eye when we shook on the deal."

She waved me off, letting me know it was alright, then followed me over to Alan.

"Hey Alan!" I grinned, getting his attention. He paused, mid-bench-press, to look at me.

"Oh, hey Mesmira. How's it-" Mesmira focused her abilities on Alan and he fell into a trance, the barbell slipping from his telekinetic grasp.

"Got it!" Jaime called, zipping forward and catching the barbell in her gloved hands, not at all thrown off by the 150 pounds the bar was holding. She casually placed the bar back in place on the stand before turning back to look at Alan.

"Alan, you will taste a slice of pizza." I ordered, opening the box for him. He reached into the box, a dull expression on his face. He slowly brought the slice up to his mouth and took a large bite of it, chewing slowly.

"Thank you, Mesmira." I smiled at the hero as she deactivated her powers and walked away. Alan looked around in confusion.

"What happened? Why's this food in my mouth?" He questioned as he continued to chew.

"Don't panic." I told him cautiously.

"I won't. Believe me, I've woken up many times with food in my mouth." He admitted.

"Charming." Jaime commented sarcastically before skipping over to sit with Alivia.

"But this…" Alan swallowed his food. "This is the most amazing thing I've ever tasted."

I grinned. "See? I told you."

But I spoke too soon. Even as I said those words, Alan's head began to shrink and wrinkle, his hair going grey. Alivia, Jaime, and I all watched in horror as he turned into an old lady. "You're right." Alan agreed with me, oblivious to what was happening to him, "And there were no side effects at all. You've totally changed my life."

"You can say that again." Alivia agreed as she and Jaime got up, slowly backing up towards the door. Neither of them wanted to be in here when Alan discovered what had happened, and neither did I.

"Looks that way." I forced a smile onto my face as I followed the girls' leads, carefully stepping backwards.

"Can I have another piece?" Alan requested, stepping towards me.

"Um…I think you've had enough." I replied, fighting the urge to run. But as Alan got closer, I knew I had to get out of there. I scrambled out of the room as fast as I could, tearing down the hall until I reached the ER. Alivia and Jaime were already there, waiting for me.

"What did you do?" Alivia demanded, obviously torn between being shocked and amused.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Check it out." I chuckled, sliding some test tubes onto my fingers. I wiggled them in front of Dani's face, earning a small laugh from the girl. "Witch fingers."

"Seriously?" Skylar looked at me, slightly amused. I shrugged, continued to wave them in front of my best friend's face until I heard someone else coming down the hall. I turned to see Agent Blaylock, finally released from his weapon's effects, storm into the room.

"Dr. Wrath." He called before any of us could say anything. He walked into the room, grabbing me by the shoulders. "I know you're a shapeshifter, and I know that's you."

"Uh, dude?" Dani looked past me at him before pointing at the pile of ash near her and Skylar's feet. "That's Dr. Wrath."

Agent Blaylock looked at the ashes, then back at me. "Then why were you acting like that?"

"Dude, if you leave a bunch of test tubes lying around, someone's going to make witch fingers." I replied, waving around my fingers to prove my point.

"I've been chasing Dr. Wrath for years now. Skylar Storm," he passed us and held his hand out to Skylar, "you're a real hero."

"Actually, you should be shaking Kaz and Dani's hands. They were the real heroes today." Skylar replied. Agent Blaylock turned to shake Dani's hand, then mine, but my fingers still had the test tubes on it.

"I'll…take these off." I decided when the handshake didn't turn out well. He nodded and walked over to the door, pulling a brush and dustpan out from behind it.

"And I'll take care of Dr. Wrath. I've been waiting years to do this." He began to brush the ashes into the pain. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be…surprising, because you're a pile of ashes."

And with that final note, he left me, Dani, and Skylar alone. "So…" Dani trailed off, looking at us.

"Listen, guys. I'm sorry for saying all those nice things about you." Skylar apologized sincerely.

"Same here." Dani agreed. "It was crazy back there, and a lot of that came out way too nice."

"You totally don't deserve all those complements." I agreed.

"Neither do you." Skylar agreed.

"Just acquaintances again?" Dani asked hopefully.

"Absolutely." Skylar nodded. I grinned in agreement.

"Okay, but seriously." Dani turned to Skylar, a guilty look on her face. "About this morning."

"Forget about it. Dr. Wrath was responsible for most of it anyway." Skylar told her, but Dani shook her head.

"Most of it, yeah, but…I was upset with Ollie and I was acting like a bratty little sister and I took it out on you and I'm sorry, okay?" She looked at her hopefully, and Skylar nodded.

"And I'm sorry for trying to rip your head off this morning." She added before looking at me. "And I'm sorry for getting on your back for acting like a hero. I guess I'm just feeling bad that I'm not one anymore."

"Oh, hey! You're still a hero." I assured her. She looked at me, a faint smile on her lips. "Not as much as I am though, but who is."

"Way to ruin the moment, Kaz." Skylar rolled her eyes.

"Guys!" We turned to see Gus walk into the room, his hand behind his back. To my surprise, Stephanie followed him in, a confused look on her face. "Look what I found in the janitor's office!" He pulled a toilet brush out from behind his back, an intrigued look in his eyes.

"Stephanie?" I questioned.

"Oh, yeah. Her too." Gus mentioned, still staring at his toilet brush.

"What's, like, going on?" Stephanie questioned.

"That's the real Stephanie." Dani said quietly, pulling both Skylar and I away for a moment. "I don't understand."

"Dr. Wrath must have shapeshifted into her form, then locked her in there." I realized.

"Are you okay?" Skylar demanded, walking back over to Stephanie. "How long were you in there?"

"I, like, don't remember. I don't really, like, remember anything." Stephanie replied. I glanced at Dani, then smirked, knowing that she would probably kill me for this later.

"So you don't remember that I'm your boyfriend?" I questioned.

Of course, Stephanie didn't buy it for a second. "Ew! Get away from me weirdo away from me!"

Still, it was totally worth it. Dani's face was frozen in a look of frustration, anger, and annoyance, much to my amusement.

"That's right. I'm your boyfriend." Gus told Stephanie. She nodded.

"I believe that." She replied as he put his arm around her and led her out of the room.

"I'm going to go too." Dani decided.

"Dee-" I began, but she shook her head.

"Mom's working again, and chances are Ollie hasn't had a chance to eat yet, so I'm gonna grab something for him and see if I can pick up some overtime. See ya."

She stalked out of the room and I winced. I expected her be annoyed, which would usually give me the chance to try and make her smile again, but not this upset. "Well, that was stupid of you." Skylar commented, grabbing a piece of plastic and beginning to brush the debris from the reactor into a nearby garbage can.

"Whatever." I retorted. She hummed, smirking.

"You should just ask her out." She told me, not even looking up. I stared at her, considering denying any feelings for Dani, but who was I kidding?

"I can't do that." I said instead.

"Why not?" Skylar questioned, confused. "You're both obviously interested in each other. I'm from a different planet and even I can tell."

"Because she's my best friend's sister and Oliver would kill me if I ever made a move on her." I pointed out. "Not to mention, we've been friends for so long it might screw things before things ever started happening and then I'd lose her completely."

"So, you're just going to settle for being her friend and nothing more?" She questioned skeptically.

"Yes." I retorted. She sighed and started to head for the door.

"You know, heroes take risks," She commented before walking out.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Hey, food." I looked up from my paperwork to see Dani standing on the other side of the counter, a to-go cup, a container of oregano, and a container full of spaghetti sitting next to her. I smiled.

"Thanks." I grinned, taking the to-go cup and the spaghetti from her. I could smell the guava and strawberries in the drink, confirming my earlier guess. Dani pulled a sandwich from her bag for herself – goat cheese, lettuce and tomato – and her favorite water bottle and settled herself at the other side of the counter. "Hey, listen, about yesterday…"

"We both acted like children and we're both sorry, so let's move on?" My twin suggested. I nodded in agreement.

"Deal." I agreed, digging into my dinner. Despite the lack of hamburger meat in the spaghetti – not only did she refuse to eat meat, she refused to cook it either, which made the nights when it was her turn to cook dinner a little less than awesome – it was actually pretty good. "Hey, so, no Kaz?"

"Don't know, don't care." She replied.

"Oh, great, are you two fighting?" I sighed in exasperation. She shook her head.

"No, he just…he's being Kaz and he said something stupid and I'm a little annoyed." She replied.

"What, did he go overboard with his Dr. Wrath theory?" I guessed. She laughed lightly.

"Uh, this was something different, but you're absolutely right about him going overboard." She admitted. "Though, he was half-right."

"He was?" I questioned, scooping up a bit of the oregano and spreading it over my meal. She nodded.

"He was disguised as Stephanie, not Mr. Patterson." She explained, taking a bite of her sandwich. "But yeah, it was Dr. Wrath who was pissing everyone off at school."

"So what happened to Dr. Wrath?" I questioned, digging into my spaghetti. I was mid-chew when she smiled.

"I'll give you a hint; that's not oregano." She told me. I quickly spit out my food, much to her amusement.

"Brat." I accused.

"You love me anyway." She teased as Alan walked over to us. To my relief, his head had gone back to normal.

"Oliver!" He exclaimed, annoyed. "I can't believe you didn't tell me that I was an elderly, Chinese woman!"

Dani stopped, a bemused look on her face. I faked a laugh, trying to pretend like I had no idea what he was talking about. "You were? I didn't notice."

"I guess it doesn't matter. After a few hours, I changed back." He shrugged. "But it was worth it. That pizza was amazing!"

"Sounds like you guys had fun today." Dani commented, giving me a look that clearly said that she wanted an explanation for the elderly Chinese woman comment.

"Hey, is that a Normo sandwich?" Alan licked his lips. Dani glanced at him.

"Uh, yeah?" She replied.

"Can I have the rest?" Alan questioned, taking it from her before she could reply. She threw her hands up a bit, annoyed, then walked around the counter. I slid my hand underneath, pulling out what remained of the pizza and handed her the box.

"Veggie, no onion." I told her before she could ask the type, then I looked at Alan. "I don't think you should eat that."

"Why not?" He questioned. "Pizza caused the problem, not all Normo foods!" He took a bite of Dani's sandwich, chewed it, and swallowed. The effects were instant, but instead of his head turning into that of an old lady, it shrank to one fifth of its normal size. "See? I'm fine!" Alan exclaimed as Dani and I stared at him.

"We should go." Dani told me, slowly backing away with the pizza box in her hands. Abandoning my spaghetti – because who knows if my sister was kidding about that oregano – I followed her out.

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? Good or bad? Bad or good? I want to know what you guys have to say. Reviews encourage me to keep writing, you know? Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few updates:**

 **Copy Kaz – Sept 5** **th**

 **Free Wi-Fi – Sept 12** **th**

 **There's a Strom Coming – Sept 19** **th**

 **Anyway, don't forget to review, and I'll see you all next week!**


	15. Copy Kaz

**Kihonne: Alright folks, I'm back! Copy Kaz has always been one of my favorite episodes, so this one was actually a lot of fun to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, but first, I have shoutouts to do.**

 **Xxx**

 **LabGirl2001: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. You're right about that for sure. As for the oregano…well, who knows what Dani's got up her sleeves? Maybe it was Dr. Wrath's ashes.**

 **Bluejack222: Yeah, that certain was a stupid move. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: No, it wasn't that bad. I got lucky, actually; all things considered, it could have been much worse. And thanks. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you like this one just as much.**

 **FangirlIsh13: Thanks, I do feel much better now. Yes, Kani is coming, and very soon. I've already started some early manuscripts for that chapter, and I'm really excited about it. And don't worry about the pirate voice thing – that pirate themed concert sounds pretty cool, actually. Anyway, I'm glad you liked what I did with the chapter, and Dani's jealousy. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one.**

 **Avaoreo1112: Yeah, concussions really do suck. Though, so do shots; shots suck a lot. Anyway, I'm glad you're excited for Kani. I am too, but that's probably because I finished writing a draft for their first kiss earlier today. They may not get together in this chapter, but it's coming up very, very soon. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Algernon: Yeah, it was a pretty rough while for me, but I'm good now. I'm glad you liked the first part – I figured having one of them, especially someone who's as emotional as Dani, total flip out on another would be fun. I certainly enjoyed writing it, that's for sure. As for Kani, I think you're going to like how I work that in. As for the how fast the story is going, you're right, it is going pretty fast. There were two fairly big reasons why I skipped so many episodes. 1, a lot of the season 1 episodes didn't work out well for my story. Either there wasn't enough for Dani to do, or I just couldn't find a way to translate it onto paper easily, or the episode wouldn't fit in with my plots. But I had the same problem with the Lab Assistant too – if I remember correctly, the first season lasted 12 chapters. The second reason is a lot simpler though – I had a schedule for myself for this story, and I'm trying to keep on track. The plan is to finish The Days of Our Lives sometime in December so I can start the new year off with The Power of Seven. But don't worry – I won't be skipping nearly as many episodes with season 2. Since I've always been more comfortable with dramatic/romantic plotlines than comedic ones, most of my original plots and character arcs are going to take off during the second season. So that, combined with the few extra chapters I have planned (two original chapters and a Q &A) will extend the season a fair bit. But to answer your original question, no, I won't be going back to do the chapters I skipped, for the reasons written above. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Zephryr: Alright, you could be right about me going too far with the negativity, but I personally disagree. Dani was already upset and a little jealous of the time Skylar was spending with her brother, so instead of Dr. Wrath creating negativity, she just increased it. Also, I did achieve my goal, which was for Dani to show how dark, for lack of a better word, she can be. And as you said, you think that she could be darker Calla, or any other OC I've designed for the series. While maybe it was a little too negative a scene, I think it was very in-character for Dani's character, and the plans I have for her in the future. Anyway, I guess I am a little tease with the 'I love you' bit. I'm glad that you enjoyed that part, though I don't think they're too dense to realize their feelings – after all, remember that last scene with Kaz and Skylar? He's certainly aware of how he feels. And as I've told the others, you won't have to wait too much longer for them to get together – I won't say which chapter it will be in, but I've already written the scene with their first kiss in it! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter more than the last! :)**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Wallace and Clyde: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Dani's POV**

"…So, Coach Rombough was saying that if we place high enough, the soccer team might be going to nationals this year." I was telling Kaz excitedly. We were back at Mighty Med, after a long day of school and, in my case, soccer practice. Ollie was trying to move a large device, one that looked suspiciously like a copy machine, to the other end of the room, so of course Kaz and I had decided that said device would be the perfect spot to sit.

"Sweet! That's awesome, Dee. So where-" Kaz broke off as the doors to the ER opened and Horace walked in. We both quickly slid off the machine and began to push it. "C'mon, Oliver! Put some muscle into it!"

My brother stopped and gave us both an annoyed look, so I chimed in. "Do we have to do everything, Ollie?"

"Dani, boys," Horace called us over. "I've been impressed with your contributions lately, and I'm prepared to promote you to the next secret level of Mighty Med."

"Awesome." Kaz said as we all grinned at each other. This was incredible!

"There you will behold miraculous wonders so secret that when I try to tell you, this happens: -"

Horace opened his mouth to speak, but the moment he did, loud, blaring alarms starting sounding off in our ears.

"Cool!" Ollie exclaimed after the alarms stopped. "And loud."

I nodded in agreement, wincing, "But first," Horace continued. "You're going to need to take an extensive practical exam where you'll have to demonstrate your skills."

"A test?" I repeated, feeling my heart drop. I never did well with tests.

"Dude, I'll show you my skills." Kaz said before trying some pretty lame break dancing moves. Horace just looked at him, then handed him a few fairly large books. "Oh, medical skills."

"Thank you, Horace, for this opportunity." Ollie took two books out of Kaz's hands, pushing one towards me. "And we will all study super hard and NOT go the Domain to goof off," he looked at Kaz and I pointedly, "and NOT ride anyone's coattails. Right guys?"

"Fine." I muttered. Kaz nodded reluctantly, then looked at Horace.

"Is there a website where a cartoon mouse explains all this to me?" He asked hopefully.

"Oh, come on, Kaz." Horace gave him a disappointed look. "Of course there is! But to access the website, you need the secret password, which is -"

Once again, the alarms started blaring, louder than before. I winced again, my hands flying up to cover my ears.

 **Clyde's POV**

It had been months since my brother and I had discovered that those annoying kids – Kaz and the Short twins – were somehow connected to Mighty Med, but so far, we'd yet to find a way to get them to divulge information. Obviously, we couldn't outright ask them about it – that would be far too suspicious – but it had been our hope that one of them would slip up and say something, anything, that might help us find the secret hospital. Unfortunately, even though they clearly weren't the sharpest tools in the shed, they'd all been careful not to say a word about it since.

But alas, I did have a plan. After considering it for a long time, and spending hours trailing a fellow supervillain, I was finally ready to approach Wallace with my idea.

"Wallace!" I called him over, while the device I'd gotten. It was high-tech for sure, but looked fairly similar to a pair of binoculars, so if a customer happened to walk in right now, they wouldn't give the device a second glance.

"Hey, Cl- are those what I think they are?" Wallace demanded, staring at the device.

"It's a bi-optical image replicator." I announced. His face fell, disappointed.

"Oh, then it's not what I thought it was." He grumbled. "But I guess a villainous cloning device makes more sense than bird-watching binoculars."

"I borrowed it from Sewer Rat. And by borrowed, I mean stole." I explained smugly. "With this, we can finally find our way into Mighty Med." I opened the cash register next to me and pulled out the silver, broken half-circle that was lying in one of the money columns. "And then, we can locate the other half of the Diad of Nebulan. Then with the other half that we already have, we can restore the powers that Horace Diaz stole from us!"

"Sounds great." Wallace replied sarcastically, clearly not interested.

"Hey, no moping!" I snapped as I walked around the counter. "I promised you a set of bird watching binoculars for Valentine's Day and you will get them on Valentine's Day!"

"But I'll miss woodpecker season!" He protested.

"Wallace!" He really needed to get his head in the game. "This device will turn me into an exact replica of Kaz. Then one of the twins will just lead me into Mighty Med."

Wallace sighed. "So how does this non-woodpecker finding device work?"

"Earlier today, I used this device to record Kaz's voice and image." I explained, placing the device on the counter and angling it towards me. I quickly took off my glasses, sliding them into my pocket, and readied myself. "Now I just have to wait for the self-timer to go off and…" I waited for a few long moments, but nothing happened. But then, just as I was about to double check that the device was working, there was a flash, and suddenly, I felt a lot shorter than I used to be. "Did it work?" I demanded, immediately reaching for the mirror I'd left on the counter. I held it in front of my face, smirking when I recognized Kaz's reflection. "It worked. I look terrible, but it worked."

I glanced back at Wallace, but to my surprise, he still looked upset. "Now what's wrong?" I demanded.

"To be honest, I was kinda hoping you would turn into a woodpecker." He admitted. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head at him. As usual, only one of us were taking this seriously.

 **Dani's POV**

"Alright, what's code 3C-24 used for?" Ollie questioned, glancing at me as we walked through the mall.

"Um…" I trailed off, trying to think. 3C codes usually had to do with impalements of some kind, but I couldn't remember what the 24 was for. "Arrow impaled in the rib cage?"

"Poisoned arrow impaled in the rib cage." My brother corrected, not unkindly.

"I'm totally gonna fail this." I complained.

"No, you're not." Ollie brushed my concerns away, but I was hardly reassured.

"Yes I am. I see a test paper and suddenly the only thought in my head is 'when is class over?'." I stressed. "I can never remember anything when it comes to tests and you know it."

"Horace said it was a practical exam." He reminded me. "That means no papers. Just us, Horace, and a patient. Trust me, Dee, you're not the one I'm worried about failing."

"Kaz promised he wouldn't flake on us. He knows how important this." I defended him. Ollie nodded.

"Doesn't mean he'll study." He told me, reaching ahead of me to hold the open the door to the Domain. We spotted Kaz and Wallace inside, talking to each other quietly. Surprisingly, there was no sign of Clyde, Wallace's twin brother. "Kaz, there you are! What are you doing here?"

"What? He's always here!" Wallace exclaimed.

"Much more than Clyde would like." Kaz added.

"Not that he would know what Clyde would like. I mean, how would he?" Wallace commented.

"I mean, it's not like I'm Clyde pretending to be me." Kaz chuckled as Wallace walked away. I raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on it. Was he trying to be funny and failing, or, like, what?

"I can't believe that after our discussion at work yesterday and what you promised," Ollie stressed that last word, trying to guilt-trip Kaz, "you'd come here instead!"

"Uh, I'm sorry." Kaz apologized. "I shouldn't have come here instead. Especially after what I promised, and the discussion we had yesterday. At work."

I looked at him suspiciously, crossing my arms. "You have no idea why he's upset, do you?" I questioned. Kaz hesitated, and I got my answer. I turned to my brother. "I take back what I said earlier about him not flaking on us. Clearly, I was mistaken."

"I know why you're upset!" Kaz insisted.

"Oh yeah?" Ollie challenged, waiting for Kaz to explain. The other boy began to sweat, panicking slightly.

"I stole your girlfri…ied potato recipe…eanut butter sand…castle making trophy?" He said, trying to guess what he did wrong by the looks on our faces. I just looked at him, bemused, while Ollie had had enough.

"You know what? Forget you. We're going to…" He glanced past Kaz at Wallace, "… to you know where to study for the test by ourselves. You may not care about learning the secrets of MEH-MEH-MEH-MEH, but I do."

With that, Ollie turned around and walked out of the store. I gave Kaz a guilty look.

"Sorry, I'd stay and hang, but I really hate those alarms." I told him apologetically before racing after my brother.

 **Clyde's POV**

I followed Dani and Oliver for almost three blocks, listening to them argue the entire time about whose turn it was to cook dinner. Eventually, though, they walked into a regular, Normo hospital down on fourth. I quickly followed them inside, taking care to not be seen.

"I cooked last night! It's your turn!" Dani was pointing out as she and Oliver walked through an ordinary door to a janitor's closet. I waited for them to come out, but they never did, so I called Wallace.

"Wallace?" I hissed into the phone when I heard him pick up.

" _Clyde."_ He responded immediately.

"Oliver and Dani just went into the janitor's closet." I informed him.

" _So follow them!"_ He told me. I tried the door handle, but it wouldn't budge. I looked back at the door, hoping to see shadows of them moving around in there, but instead I saw a large bright blue light glow for a moment. The light died away after a moment, though, and I heard an audible click come from the door handle.

" _Wait, I just thought of something,"_ Wallace said as I opened the now un-locked janitor's closet. At first glance, it looked like an everyday janitorial closet – extra toilet paper, cleaning supplies, the whole deal. But I knew there had to be something in here, something that would produce that glow. _"What happens if you run into the real Kaz? How do you explain that?"_

"I am an evil genius!" I rolled my eyes. "You don't think I thought of that?"

" _You didn't think of that, did you?"_ Wallace guessed.

"No I didn't. I'm so stupid sometimes!" I admitted, cursing myself for not considering the possibility earlier. Both Wallace and I suspected that the kids spent a fair bit of time here – from what we knew about them, they each had their reasons for not wanting to hang out at their homes, and the Domain was their favorite place, so it made sense that whenever they weren't at our shop or school, they were likely at Mighty Med – so it was not just a possibility, but it was likely that I could run into Kaz here. "You know what? I'll just get in and out so fast that he won't even see me."

I spoke too soon. Suddenly, the wall in front of me split open and I nearly stumbled straight into Kaz. Luckily, and surprisingly, he was too busy reading a large book to notice me. In fact, he walked right past me with his nose buried in the book, heading right out of the janitor's closet.

Deciding not to question it, I stepped out of the janitor's closet into what looked like a hospital ER. I grinned to myself, glad that my idea to follow Dani and Oliver had worked out. I was in Mighty Med! I could see many of the heroes from my past standing around, and my excitement grew. I couldn't wait to get the other half of the Diad so I could destroy them. Except for Blue Tornado. I liked his boots, so him I would just torture.

"I can't believe I'm finally in Mighty Med!" I said to Wallace, who was still listening in on the phone.

"Just play it cool." My other half advised. I nodded.

"Right. Cool. Got it." I agreed. I walked past a walking lizard and a young woman in a lab coat. "Hello lizard-person and doctor-woman. It's me, Kaz! I totally belong here."

I looked around to see if anyone had bought that, and immediately caught sight of Horace Diaz. The man was fiddling with his half of the Diad of Nebulan, the mystical item hanging from a string around his neck like a necklace. He tucked it inside her shit, buttoning it back up.

"It's Diaz!" I hissed to Wallace. "He's got the Diad of Nebulan hanging around his neck!"

"Kaz, stop following me!" Oliver exclaimed, walking up to me just then. Dani was just behind him, standing next to the superhero sidekick Geminus. "I'm not going to help you study for this test. If you fail, that's your problem, not mine."

"Kids." Diaz walked up to us, motioning for Dani to come over. "I forgot to mention. Since I hired the three of you as a team, if anyone of you fails, it's your problem, not mine." Both Dani and Oliver opened their mouths to protest, but Diaz continued before they could. "Oh, and if you fail, you'll be cubed. Good talk!"

"What?" Dani demanded, staring at him.

"Well, if your skills don't rise to the next level, we'll have no use for you." Diaz explained. "And since you know all about Mighty Med…" He made the motions of crushing something into a box with his hands, smiled at us, then walked away.

"Well, that blows." I commented, trying to stay in character. Dani shot me a you-are-such-an-idiot look while Oliver groaned loudly. He then gestured down a random hallway.

"Go, now." He ordered, his expression serious.

 **Dani's POV**

Right after Horace told us the news about how if we didn't all pass the test, we'd all be cubed, Ollie freaked out. Not like in the usual way, with panicking and scrambling to find a way out, but in the way where he went overboard trying to make sure that everything went one hundred percent smoothly and according to plan. This, of course, meant locking the three of us in the rec room with a life-sized manikin on a gurney. Heck, he even tied the two doors together with a large piece of rope so that we couldn't leave, nor could anyone come in and distract us.

"Okay, here's the plan." My brother told us. "Until you two prove to me that you're ready to pass this test, no one is leaving this room."

"I have a better plan: I leave this room." Kaz responded, heading for the door.

"Kaz, wait." I stopped him. "This is important. If we pass this test, then we'll learn the secrets of MEH-MEH-MEH-MEH."

"And also, we won't be cubed!" Ollie added. "Now, show me procedure 33A."

Kaz smirked. "Sure, no problem."

 **Xxx**

"This is not procedure 33A." I growled, wiggling in an attempt to escape. Completely ignoring the dummy Ollie had set up, Kaz had taken the rope from the door and proceeded to tie both me and my brother up so that we were stuck back to back, out hands tied together so tightly we could barely feel them. He'd even taken the initiative to tie even our feet together.

"What? Are you sure?" Kaz questioned, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Procedure 33A is administrating eye drops." Ollie pointed out.

"Oh. I thought it meant tie you up." Kaz hummed. "I should probably go study some more."

"Kaz!" I called, but it was too late; he was already out the door and long gone. "What the hell is wrong with him today?"

"I know right?" Ollie agreed, pulling at the ropes.

 **Clyde's POV**

Once I had managed to secure Dani and Oliver in another room, I headed into the main part of Mighty Med, intent on achieving my goal. I had to get that Diad of Nebulan from Horace Diaz, and I wouldn't let anything stop me.

I snuck up behind Diaz as he sat in front of one of the counters, being careful not to make any noise. If I could just slip that necklace off his neck, I could race out of here before he could stop me.

"Kaz." I froze, my hands inches away from his neck, "If you're sneaking up behind me to scare me, good. I've got a terrible case of the hiccups."

Great, a convenient excuse for my actions. That worked out well.

"Right, that's exactly what I'm doing." I lied. "Boo."

"AH!" He jumped out of his seat, legitimately startled by my sudden 'boo'. He paused for a moment, and a smile bloomed on his face. "It worked! Well done, Kaz! Now, since you're here, let's start your practical exam, shall we?"

"Huh?" I stared at him, confused, until I remembered what Oliver and Dani had been going on about. "Oh, right. The test."

"Yes, so…" Diaz looked down at a clipboard, reading off of it. "First question: how do you treat a superhero whose foot has been impaled with a Borneon Sword?"

I paused, trying to think of a way to twist this into my favor. "First, you remove any jewelry from around the neck."

Before he could respond, I reached around him to pull off the necklace with the Diad on it. "Stop it! What are you doing?" He demanded, pushing me off.

"Saving your life! Don't you die on me!" I snapped before trying once more. Once again, however, Diaz pushed me away.

"What is going on?" He demanded, more angry than confused. "Wait, are you trying to steal my necklace?"

"What? You mean your half of this all-powerful amulet which, when combined with its other half, can create a villain of unmatched force and power?" I laughed nervously. "I don't even know what that is!"

Judging by the look on Diaz's face, my words did not reassure him. "C'mon, it's me! Kaz! You don't trust me? Why would I try to steal it?"

He relaxed and I took advantage of the opportunity, lunging at him in hopes of ripping the necklace off of him. "Guards!" He shouted, struggling to push me away from him. I glanced behind me, hearing two guards teleport into the room behind me. "Get him!" He cried as I bolted down the nearest hallway, my plan a failure. "He's a traitor!"

 **Dani's POV**

"Are you sure you can't move anymore?" Oliver muttered, still struggling against the ropes. We figured that if we struggled enough, we might be able to stretch the ropes enough to escape (Because I mean, it was Kaz. The dude could barely tie his shoes, let alone keep Oliver and I tied together for more than a few minutes) but apparently, Kaz's ability to tie a knot had improved a lot since we last checked, because neither of us could get loose in the slightest.

Suddenly, I heard the doors behind me swing open. I craned my neck, trying to get a better view of who it was, but Ollie's big head was in the way. "Skylar!" My brother's sigh of relief let me know who'd come to our rescue. "Thank goodness you're here!"

"Hey guys, do you have a sec?" Skylar questioned. I raised an eyebrow at that. "I need to talk to you about something really important."

"We're kinda tied up right now." I told her, stating the obvious. Skylar gave me a look.

"Stop making everything about you." She commented in response before sitting down and continuing. "Anyway, I don't want to embarrass anyone by using names, but there's a guy I know and see all the time who has a crush on me, and I think you need to tell him how I feel."

I felt Ollie still next to me, his entire frame tense. "I couldn't agree more." He told her when he finally recovered from his surprise. "You should definitely tell him. You know the old saying: honesty is the best policy."

"But I don't feel the same way about him." Skylar continued. "In fact, I find him kind of repulsive."

"Then don't tell him." I intervened quickly. I mean, it was fairly obvious that she was talking about Oliver – I couldn't think of anyone else I knew that had a crush on her – and I guess he kinda knew now that she wasn't interested, but a conversation like this had to hurt a hell of a lot less than if she outright rejected him, right? "Honesty is bad. Never be honest. You know the old saying: honesty is the worst policy."

"Then how do I let him down without hurting his feelings?" She questioned, clearly troubled by her situation.

"Why let him down? Maybe, if you actually go out with him, you'll find him less repulsive." I suggested.

"Yeah. Just give it a few years. Really, really kick the tires." Ollie agreed.

"I don't think I could ever go out with Alan." Skylar replied, disgust in her voice.

"Alan?" Ollie and I repeated at the same time. She was talking about Alan?

"Yes, although, I would certainly enjoy kicking him in the tires." She mused.

"Alan has a crush on you?" Ollie laughed. I, too, was having trouble not laughing at this. "Then tell him the truth, because you know the old saying: honesty is the best and worst, but mostly best, policy."

"Now could you please untie us?" I requested.

"Not yet." Skylar replied, to my surprise. "I mean, how often do you get a truly captive audience?"

"Seriously?" I muttered, more to Ollie than to her. Skylar continued as if I'd never said anything at all.

"So, I'm thinking about changing my hair. What do you think? Bangs or no bangs?" My goodness, we were never going to get out of here!

 **Clyde's POV**

I spent an hour hiding out in a storage closet, hoping for a chance to escape. I could see the entrance to Mighty Med through the grate on the doors, and it wasn't far, but guards were constantly patrolling the ER.

But then I got lucky – Kaz, the real Kaz, walked through the door, still engrossed by his book. The guards saw him immediately, grabbing him by the arms and restraining him before he knew what was happening.

"Hey! What gives?" He demanded, dropping his book and trying to pull away from the guards.

"Guards! Take him away and turn him into a cube!" Diaz ordered, much to Kaz's confusion.

"A cube? What are you talking about?" He demanded.

"You know perfectly well what I am talking about!" Diaz spat. "A cube is a three-dimensional solid polyhedron with six square faces of equal sizes, you traitor!"

"What? I'm not a traitor!" He protested. "But I am a snitch. You know Gerome from accounting? He keeps stealing pencils."

"Enough! You disgust me. After all I've done for you, you let me down like this?" Diaz wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Don't even look at me!"

Apparently, the guards believed that he was talking to them, and they looked away. Kaz took advantage of their momentary inattentiveness, and bolted from their arms, running away from them as fast as his legs would carry him.

Diaz sent the guards after him, but stayed in the ER himself. Drat! I would be stuck here forever if he didn't leave!

 **Dani's POV**

"Ouch." I hissed, rubbing my sore wrists. Those ropes had been tight, and left marks on both me and Ollie's wrists, and although I hadn't checked, I could feel that my ankles were probably in a similar condition. Thankfully, Skylar had decided to untie us before the robes could rub too much more against our raw skin. "I can't believe Kaz would tie us up like that."

"I can't believe he bailed on us." Ollie cried. "Because he didn't study, Horace is going to turn us into three-dimensional solid polyhedrons with six square faces of equal sizes!"

"Oh, BTW, I changed my mind. Go with the bangs." I suggested before turning to Ollie. "Now, we need to find Kaz."

"Agreed." Ollie nodded and followed me out into the hallway. As we neared the ER, we could see a number of the staff and superheroes had gathered around the front. "Horace, what's going on…"

Pushing through the crowd, we were shocked to see two guards holding Kaz tightly, our best violently struggling to escape but to no avail.

"Kaz, what-" I started towards him, but my brother stopped me before I could. "What is going on here?"

"I'm having Kaz turned into a paperweight." Horace replied, his tone dark as two other guards wheeled a large device into the room. It was fairly big, about the size of a school locker, with many colorful buttons on it. "They were just cleaning out Gerome from accounting. Teach him to steal pencils!"

"You're doing this because he failed the test? Does that mean we're next?" Ollie worried.

"Can't we do a make-up test?" I pleaded with Horace.

"Your make-up is fine, very natural." Horace assured me, despite the complete lack of make-up on my face. "And this isn't because of the exam, this is because he gave me no choice." He turned to address Kaz. "As fond as I've grown of you, you've betrayed me, and even worse, you've betrayed Mighty Med. So I have to have you cubed."

The guard on the left sighed and moved to enter the tube part of device. "Not you, Marcel!"

The other guard chuckled at his partner's idiocy, then pushed Kaz into the tube. "Kaz would never betray Mighty Med!" Ollie protested. "He's the most loyal person I know!"

"Yeah!" Kaz agreed, poking his head out of the device. "So don't cube me, cube one of them!"

"Okay, maybe loyal isn't the right word, but what Ollie says is true. He would never betray Mighty Med." I pleaded with him. "He's no traitor!"

"We're begging you." Ollie added. "Don't cube him. There's got to be a different way."

Horace looked at us for a long moment, then sighed. "Alright." He said softly, then straightened up. "If you're going to whine about it." He picked up a small, handheld device off the counter. "Then I guess I'm just going to have to erase his memory and banish him from Mighty Med forever."

"What?" "No!" Ollie and I both leapt at Horace, trying to stop him, but we were a second too late. Horace flashed Kaz in the face with the device before we could stop him. Our best friend went white, slumping against the walls of the cubing device with a blank expression on his face.

"Kaz, Kaz!" Ollie rushed at him as he stumbled out of the device. "Kaz, it's me."

"Me…me…" Kaz frowned, totally confused. "Nope, not ringing any bells. Also, what's a bell?"

"Kaz, please tell me you're screwing with us." I pleaded with him. I half-expected him to give me a sly grin and admit to his joke. Unfortunately, he just frowned at me.

"What's a Kaz?" He questioned to my dismay.

"Throw him out!" Horace exclaimed. The guards did as they were told, pushing a very baffled Kaz out the door, Horace following shortly behind him.

I slowly turned around, not just to face my brother, but also so that I would not have to watch them kick Kaz out. "He…he didn't recognize us. At all." My voice was tiny, a lump in my throat. Just like that, in a matter of seconds, our entire friendship, every moment, had been erased from his memory as if we didn't exist. Gone. _Don't cry._ I told myself. _Don't freaking cry._

Ollie looked like he wanted to as well. "I can't believe he's gone. He has no memory of our friendship."

"I know." I gulped.

"But without him, there's no 'us'." Ollie protested, shaking his head. "No guts, no glory. No pain, no gain. No shirt, no service." He chuckled sadly. "Remember all those times when he refused to wear a shirt and we got kicked out of a restaurant or café?"

But I was no longer listening. My attention was completely focused on the black haired boy walking towards us: Kaz. He looked confused, sure, but there was recognition in his gaze when he met mine, and that was enough for me.

"Kaz!" I pushed past my brother and threw myself at my best friend, hugging him tightly as if he would disappear.

"Hi." He chuckled in amusement, hugging me back. After a moment, he realized that I had no intention of letting go. "Hey, Dee, what's wrong?"

"Kaz, you're…" Ollie trailed off, clearly as shocked as I was. "You're here."

"Yeah. Hey, could someone explain to me why Horace decided to sick the guards on me? I'm totally wearing a shirt!" He exclaimed, still hugging me with one hand, the other one gesturing towards his clothes. I took a deep, steadying breath, tightening my hug for a brief second before pulling away altogether, reassured that he wasn't going to just forget us again.

"Kaz, you know us! You know us!" Ollie proclaimed, hugging Kaz the moment I stepped away.

"Of course I know you!" Kaz chuckled, giving us a confused look. "You're my best friends, Dani who really likes hugs when she's upset and Oliver who always says things twice when he's excited."

"That's right, that's right! I do, I do!" Ollie agreed, his entire face lit up with joy.

"What are you doing here?" We turned to see Horace staring at Kaz, as shocked as Ollie and I were. "And didn't I just erase your memory?"

"Wait." Ollie paused, confused. "You just erased Kaz's memory and threw him out, yet he's right here and he remembers everything. A villain must have impersonated Kaz to get access to Mighty Med!"

"Well, that would explain why 'Kaz' would try to steal my all powerful amulet." Horace realized. "And he used the word 'amulet'. That's way beyond his vocabulary."

Kaz scoffed. "I have bad vocabulary?" He questioned, amused. "The word is pronounced omelet."

I sighed. "He's definitely Kaz, no question about it."

"So that was a villain impersonating you." Horace nodded. I frowned.

"But who?" I asked, trying to think. While most of the superhero (and supervillain) world knew that three Normos were working at Mighty Med, there were very few that actually knew our names, let alone what we looked like or where to find us. So who could have been behind this?

"Villains know who I am?" Kaz asked, following the same train of thought as I was. "That's so…AWESOME!"

"No one has any use for the Diad of Nebulan other than Catastrophe." Horace informed us. "He was one of the most powerful villains to ever terrorize the galaxy. But he was defeated years ago and split into two separate beings, each of them pathetic and nearly powerless."

"The two being must still be alive somewhere." Ollie realized.

"Not just somewhere; they have to be in Philadelphia." I pointed out. "Otherwise, how would they know what Kaz looks like to impersonate him?"

"There's over 1.5 million people in Philadelphia, Dee." My brother pointed out. "That doesn't narrow it down all that much."

"I'll have Geminus look into this for you." Horace decided. "As your official bodyguard, she should be checking into threats like this anyway. But for now, are you three ready to take your test?"

We all exchanged looks, but really, how much more prepared could we get?

 **Xxx**

"Now, the final test question." Horace declared, walking us over to the Crusher. He hadn't been waiting long, just long enough for Horace to diagnose his condition and convince him to be part of our test, so we had no idea what the question would be on. "What do you do when a hero is infested with Zandorian parasites?"

He lifted the towel covering the Crusher's stomach, and the sight of it made my stomach turn. The skin had bubbled, with long, white blobs moving under the skin.

"I'm gonna puke." Ollie announced, the boys faring as well as I was.

"Correct!" Horace said gleefully, dropping the towel so that it covered up the infection. "Vomit is indeed the cure for Zandorian parasites!"

"Really?" I questioned, surprised.

"Congratulations!" Horace exclaimed. "You've all passed!"

"Yes!" We gave each other high-fives, both thrilled and relieved at his words.

"You will no longer be Normos!" Horace announced, walking past us towards the counter. We all stopped, exchanging looks of disbelief. Were we getting powers? Horace pulled three gold name tags out from a drawer. "I'm giving you titles! You are now Chief Executive Normos!"

Okay, not as cool as powers, but still pretty cool. "Do we get a raise?" Ollie asked.

"Nope."

"Do we get a bonus?" Kaz inquired hopefully.

"Nope."

"Do we get more vacation days?" I added.

"Nope." Once again, Horace shot the idea down. "But, you do get to see this."

Horace led us down the hall to a set of doors that had been locked since we'd come here. He pulled a golden key out of his pocket, and slowly unlocked it. "Voila!" He announced, pushing open the doors.

Inside, a glowing light revealed to us the secrets of Mighty Med, from the time it began to medical mysteries beyond the comprehension of any Normo. It was an experience that could never be forgotten, making everything that had happened today completely worth it.

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? Good or bad? A little bit of both? Seriously people, reviews motivate me to keep writing, no matter what kind of review it is. Seriously, even a couple of sentences would brighten my day. Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few updates:**

 **September 12** **th** **– Free Wi-Fi**

 **September 19** **th** **– There's a Storm Coming**

 **September 26** **th** **– How The Mighty Med Have Fallen**

 **Anyway, I guess I'll see you guys all next week. Until then, remember to review!**


	16. Free Wi-Fi

**Kihonne: Alright guys, I'm back! First of all, to any writers who manage to keep up a weekly update schedule while in college or university, you guys are my heroes. Seriously, I'm only in my first week and I've barely had any time to sit down and write. I have no idea how you guys do it. Second of all, sorry to everyone for the late update. I knew that I'd have a little less time to myself during my first week of university, but it's been crazy. The amount of time I've had to write has gone from about 5 hours a day to 1, hence why it took me a little longer on this one. Anyway, this week's chapter is Free Wi-Fi! But first, it's shoutout time!**

 **Xxx**

 **Fangirlish: I don't think it was that unrealistic. I mean, maybe I'm forgetting a line, but I can't remember any lines that Kaz said that were overly long or were too long to be in character. I mean, why there was no suspicion from Oliver about his best friend hog-tying him, you got me, but aside from that, I don't see much of it as unrealistic, but I guess everyone has their own opinion. But anyway, thanks, and I hope you enjoy this week's chapter.**

 **LabGirl2001: Thanks. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much.**

 **Algernon: I'm glad you liked it so much! As for the number of chapters, there's going to be 34. At least, according to the update schedule I made back in June. I know I'm skipping some of season 2 as well, though I think I'm replacing some of them with the Q &A and the original chapters (unless I'm mistaken, I'm only skipping 4 episodes from season 2). The Lab Assistant did have more for me to work with, and it complicates the timelines too (I think I've calculated it so that for every chapter in the Days of Our Lives, there's two chapters of The Lab Assistant). I do think your math might be slightly off, because by the end of September, I'll have posted the 18** **th** **chapter, not the 11** **th** **, but you're right about how it's going to be a bit of a squeeze to get this all done before New Years, but I have figured out a couple of solutions to said problem. 1, I'm going to combine some episodes into a single chapter (for example, Do You Want to Build a Lava-Man and Storm's End will be combined due to the fact that they take place seconds apart from each other), and the original chapters will likely be posted the day after the previous chapter, since I already have them written out in full, rather than a full week later. Also, whenever I can finish a chapter ahead of schedule, I'm probably going to be posting it ahead of schedule. As it stands now, I'm expecting to post the last chapter on January 10** **th** **, and since I'm hoping to post a lot over the Christmas break, I should be able to get it done on time. And if not, oh well. I'm only be off schedule by a couple of weeks, right? Also, I know right? It's so hard to believe how long it's been since Mighty Med ended. Just the other day, I was mentioning to a friend that I was disappointed to see that DXD had stopped playing the episodes on TV. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Bluejack222: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you like this chapter too.**

 **Avaoreo1112: I think you are really going to enjoy what I have in store for those two. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Young Films: Thank you so much, and I'm so honored to have inspired you. I can't wait to read your fanfiction! Please let me know when you've posted it, so I can check it out :)**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Nelson: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kaz's POV**

"Hey guys." I greeted, walking into the ER. Dani and Oliver were both sitting at the main counter in the ER, the latter working on his laptop, and the former engrossed in a book, just like they'd been the last time I'd come in here, over an hour ago. Well, whatever they were doing, they needed a break from it, and I was going to give them one.

"Dear diary." I said, just loud enough to get both of their attentions, as I leaned over behind Oliver. "I wish I could be more like Kaz. He does such cool things, like pretending to be the make-believe voice of my diary."

Dani chucked lightly at that, closing her book, while Oliver just turned around with a tired look on his face. "Hey, that sounds nothing like my make-believe diary voice. It's British."

"Uh, guys? As much as I enjoy making fun of Ollie's diary voice, I'm kinda studying." Dani interrupted us. I stared at her. "Yes, I know. I actually did say that."

"You, studying?" I repeated. "Is the world ending?"

"No, we just have a big test tomorrow. One that's worth thirty percent of our final grade. You fail that and you're probably gonna fail the class." Dani reminded. I just stared at her, confused. "We had to read Animal Farm for class?"

"I've been working on my study guide all night." Oliver added, trying to help me remember. Oh crap. I remember when Mrs. Pearson handed us those books. Dani had dug right into it, as she had thought it would be a fun story about farm animals (she later complained about how it was nothing like she expected), Oliver had packed his away for later, and I think I ended up shoving it somewhere in my locker and hadn't thought about it since. Crap.

"Hey, uh, could I get a copy of your study guide?" I asked hopefully, looking at Oliver. "I totally read the book, I just want to brush up on the details."

"No, you can't have a copy of my study guide, because you need to stop cheating and do the work." Oliver retorted. I looked at him, offended.

"Hey, I am going to do the work!" I insisted. "Do you have any idea how much effort it takes to write a twenty-page study guide on the palm of my hand?"

"No, Kaz." Oliver refused to budge on the matter.

"You're giving Dani a copy!" I exclaimed, almost certain of it. Oliver never refused to give his sister extra help.

"Because she actually read the book. Twice!" Oliver insisted.

"Not to mention, if I fail another test, Mom's gonna make Ollie start tutoring me, and neither of us want that." Dani added as the ER doors swung open and Benny pushed Titanio, a Normo turned superhero thanks to his robotic weaponized suit, in on a gurney. Titanio was wearing his usual apparel – his blue, black, and silver robotic suit – and didn't actually appear to be hurt.

"Hey, can one of you guys help me?" The nurse requested. "Titanio here needs a software upgrade for exo-suit."

"Just don't do a system delete." Titanio requested. "I have, like, thirteen years of email stored in here."

"Not it." Dani said immediately before any of us could reply. We both looked at her. "I can barely work a laptop. You really want me near his exo-suit?"

"Good point." Oliver agreed, obviously remembering the time Dani accidently deleted his entire system while trying to Google a recipe for vegetarian tacos. He looked at me pointedly. "I'll go help Benny. You read Animal Farm."

To emphasize his point, he handed me his copy of the book, then left to go help Benny. I sighed, really not wanting to have to read the book. "Dee?"

"I'm going to go see what Skylar's up to." She announced, closing her book and sliding it into her backpack. She looked over her shoulder at Oliver, who was busy with Benny and Titanio, then reached into a drawer under the counter and pulled out a memory stick.

"I think it's one of Ollie's extras." She told me, tossing it to me. She started to walk away, then paused. "He changed his password, by the way. It's now DaniStopUsingMyLaptop, no spaces."

"Thanks Dee." I smiled at her girl, who grinned back before disappeared down the hall. I quickly sat down at Oliver's chair, slid the memory stick into the drive, and typed in Oliver's password. His background, a picture of me, Alivia, Dani, Skylar, and himself, appeared instantly, along with a number of files and documents.

" _Hello, computer user."_ An image of a scrawny guy in a black outfit, complete with a bullet-proof vest, appeared on the screen. _"I am your set-up wizard. Can I help you with anything?"_

"No thanks." I replied, even though I knew he couldn't hear me. "I'm pretty well-versed in how to copy other people's work."

I exited the set-up wizard and tried to copy the document, but to my surprise, it refused to copy. Heck, it wouldn't even let me open the document. "That's weird."

" _To copy a file, hit control-alt-F8."_ The set-up wizard reappeared, coming to my rescue.

"Alright." I muttered, pressing the buttons. To my surprise, not only did the file not copy, but the screen went black for a moment. A beam of light flew from the screen, shooting something from it. The light hit the ground to my left, and a small figure began to grow, until I recognized the now life-size set-up wizard standing in front of me. The man was smirking to himself, clearly pleased with how that all worked out.

"How did you do that?" I demanded, confused. Who was this guy?

"I have the ability to turn molecular structures into their binary counterparts ad transfer them into any digital equipment." He replied, turning around to face me. I frowned, having no idea what he just said.

"Huh?" I blinked in confusion.

"I can do this." He raised his hand and my vision went completely white for a moment. When the light disappeared, I looked around in confusion. It looked like I was in a small room, the walls plastered with that photo Oliver used as his background. There were a few floating blocks next to me, shaped like massive folders, along with a couple of equally large pieces of paper. There was a floating arrow in front of me, somewhat obscuring my view. And believe me, it was a crazy view. It was like I was looking out a window, right into Mighty Med, except everything was ten times the size it should have been. With a start, I realized he must have somehow sent me inside my best friend's computer.

"Hey!" I protested, but he either couldn't hear me, or wasn't listening. He just lowered the lid of the laptop, making the entire room darken until I couldn't see anything at all.

 **Dani's POV**

"How do I back-up?" Skylar demanded in frustration, hitting the buttons on her Wii remote angrily. I chuckled lightly.

"1. Press the 1 button." I replied as my race cart flew past her, speeding into 3rd place. Ever since Skylar had begun to live in the Normo world, almost a year ago, Kaz, Ollie, and I had taken it upon ourselves to educate in her in Normo culture. Kaz had taken care of personal relationships and food (the first was a punishment for messing with her on her first week of being a Normo and he had volunteered for the latter, claiming that Ollie and I ate too healthy and that she needed to learn to eat like a 'real Normo'), I took care of girly-stuff (bleh! The only reason I agreed was because it was an excuse to get rid of all the make-up and dressed my mom kept insisting that I should own) and Normo pastimes (you know, sports, video games, books, art, and other such things), and Ollie handled pretty much everything else. Anyway, today's lesson was Mario Kart, mainly because it was the only video game we had here that I could teach her in a span of an hour, since I only had that much time for my break.

"Hey Horace, you wanna play? I'm kicking ass today." I called as my boss walked into the rec room, a clipboard in his hands. Even as I said this, I managed to slide into 2nd, the only racer ahead of my being freaking Yoshi.

"No thanks. I'm hiding from Alan." He admitted. Just as he said that, the doors behind him opened up and the sweater-vest loving teenager walked into purposefully.

"Well, you're doing a terrible job at it." Skylar commented dryly as the race ended.

"Uncle Horace! You promised!" Alan complained, clearly upset by something Horace had neglected to do. Skylar and I exchanged looks before leaning back in our seats, ready to watch this all unfold.

"Alan, we've talked about this." Horace sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"But you promised! You told me on my eighth birthday that when I become a man, I could finally meet my father!" Alan protested.

Wow. I had figured this was about some new sweater vest that Horace was supposed to get him, or perhaps a change of menu in the cafeteria. But meeting his father? That never even crossed my mind. "You've never met your father?" I asked Alan softly.

"No." He replied. "He's a very important super-secret superhero, Optimo."

"I've never heard of Optimo." Skylar mentioned, though, I did remember hearing the name before. He'd never been a patient at Mighty Med, that's for sure, but I had definitely heard the name, either in a comic book or here at Mighty Med. Wait! Didn't we have Optimo's Dagger of Truth in the Lost and Found box?

"Well, he's super-secret!" Alan snapped at Skylar. Horace sighed.

"Alan, I don't think it's a good idea." He began, only to stop when he saw Alan's face.

"But I really want to meet him." The boy pleaded with his uncle. "And I'm a man now! I've even grown a chest hair. I'll show you!"

Alan waited half a beat for Horace to look down at his clipboard, then he spun around and yanked a stand of hair from Skylar's pink streak. The former superhero winced, glaring at him hatefully for pulling her hair, but he didn't care.

"See? It's right here." He held it out for Horace's inspection. "It grew so long, it fell out. And turned pink."

Horace looked at the hair skeptically for a long moment. "Well, we Diazes do have really long, pink, chest hair." Gross, I so did NOT need to know that bit of trivia. "But it's too dangerous for you and your father to meet."

"I won't even tell him who I am!" Alan bargained desperately. "Please, I just want to meet him and see him for myself."

"No." Horace sighed, giving Alan an apologetic look. "Look, Alan, your father is the head of Super-Secret Heroes in Hiding, also known as SSHH. If villains find out that he has a son, you'd both be in tremendous risk. I'm sorry."

With that final note, he walked away, leaving us with a very disappointed Alan. Alan slumped down in one of the chairs across from us, a bummed out look on his face.

"Wow." I looked at him gently. "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing. My Uncle Horace said that I can't meet my father, so I guess that's it." Gone was his usual condescending, cocky attitude. For once, Alan actually sounded like a lonely kid who just wanted his father.

"Absolutely not!" I rejected the idea of giving up, much to his surprise. Skylar nodded, leaning forward her in seat.

"Tell you what, Alan; We're going to help you find your father." She told him, sincerely. He looked at us in stunned disbelief.

"Really?" He asked. We both nodded.

"Yeah." Skylar nodded sincerely. "I don't have any parents, but if I had the chance to meet the pod of nutrient solution that created me, nothing would stand in my way. Except the dragon guarding the pod forest. They're really strict about IDs."

 **Kaz's POV**

I waited for hours for somebody to find me, but nobody came. Not Oliver, not Dani, no one. I was just left by myself, alone, for ages! And with entire room dark, there was nothing to do aside from listen to the voices coming from the ER.

I suppose it wasn't a total waste; I learned that Solar Flare and Blue Tornado were apparently seeing each other behind everyone's backs, Neocortex was the one who kept stealing Dani's lunch (apparently, he's a vegetarian too), and Timeline hated the red pens and refused to use anything but blue ones.

Eventually though, I heard an all-too-familiar voice. "Hey, Oliver, do you mind if I use your laptop? I'm waiting on a new hard drive for mine and I need to print off a copy of lab report for chemistry." A crisp Irish accent requested, coming from right above me. There was a muffled response, presumably from Oliver, and the room lit up once more. A pale skinned, hazel-eyed face the size of the glass wall stared at me, shocked. "Holy-Oliver, why is Kaz in your computer?"

"What do you mean Kaz-" Oliver's head appeared in my field of vision, a baffled look on his face. "Kaz, why are you in my computer? What did you do?"

I smiled sheepishly. "Okay, I hear a lot of blame in your voice…"

"I have no idea how this happened, but I'm guessing it has something to do with you trying to copy my study guide."

"What? Why would you think that?" I feigned innocence. Alivia raised an eyebrow.

"Kaz, look behind you." She suggested. I turned around and to my surprise, I found myself face to face with a white wall, dark, black lettered words covering it in lines. I was too close up to read it properly – it all looked like gibberish at this distance – but I could take a good guess as to what it was.

"Oh, yeah…well, you shouldn't have made your password so easy for Dani to guess!" I retorted. Oliver cursed under his breath.

"I'm going to kill my sister for giving you that password." He muttered. "Now get out of my computer!"

"No way. I'm in a computer; I wanna look around." Now that the lights were back on, I could see a few interesting files. Oliver gave me an annoyed look as I glanced around. I suddenly spied a folder labelled 'personal'. "What's in this folder?" I wondered aloud.

"Don't open it! I have a lot of private stuff in there!" Oliver's panicked look was all the incentive I needed. I grabbed at the folder and it opened up, the contents exploding all over the room. I laughed in amusement as I examined the photos inside, all of them photoshopped images of his and Skylar's future wedding.

"Oh my…" Alivia laughed, her hand covering her mouth. "Wait, wait, wait. Why do the wedding invitations say Skylar and Oliver Storm? You're taking her name?"

"It's the custom on her planet!" He snapped defensively before glaring at me. "I'm serious, Kaz! Get out of my computer!"

"Okay, okay." Before he had an aneurysm. "There's just one problem: I have no idea how."

"What?" Alivia frowned. I shrugged helplessly.

"Some guy put me in here, and I have no clue who he was or where he went." I explained as best as I could.

"Wait, I have an idea of how I can help you escape." Oliver suggested. He pressed a button, but nothing happened. "Dang it. That escape key is very inaccurately named"

 **Dani's POV**

"Alright, this is the place." I announced as we stepped out of the taxi. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, Alan's father's place was too far for us to walk. Thankfully, it was still close enough that we'd all be home before any noticed our disappearance. "At least, according to your Mighty Med records."

We gazed up at the large apartment building for a moment, then followed Alan inside. He didn't say anything to us as we climbed each set of stairs, only stopping once we reached the eighth floor.

"Wow, my dad must be super-powerful to walk up eight flights of stairs every day." Alan breathed, wiping his brow. He stood up straight suddenly, looking at door 804. That was the door to his father's apartment. "I can't believe I'm about to meet my father."

"You nervous or excited?" I asked gently. He shrugged, then brushed off the jacket and sweater he'd changed into when Skylar had suggested that he look ore presentable.

"How do I look?" He asked hesitantly.

"Great." Skylar replied gently. He nodded.

"Good. Good." He agreed absently before glancing at us and gesturing at our clothing. "Because I am not loving this at all."

Before either of us could protest, Alan took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It opened up a moment later, revealing a tall, middle-aged man with curly light brown hair and a bit of a goatee. I had to say, he didn't look much like Alan, nor did he look like much of a superhero. But Alan was star-struck, frozen in place.

"Yeah?" The man questioned, looking at us. When Alan didn't answer, I stepped in.

"Hi, uh, we're looking for Nelson Gonzalez?" I asked kindly. The man, presumably Nelson, grinned.

"Oh, you guys are here for the couch?" He replied, ushering us in. "Well come on it, come on in."

He ushered us into a small, kinda dirty looking apartment. The entire room, about the size of my dining room, was cluttered with overflowing book shelves, kitchen supplies, an old TV, and about anything else he could have found to stick in here. "We're not here about the couch." Alan told him.

"Oh." Nelson looked at us thoughtfully, trying to figure out what we wanted. Before Alan could continue, the confusion cleared from his father's face. "Well, if you're here to complain about the chickens, I'm sorry, but I like fresh eggs.'

I looked around, but I couldn't see any farm animals of any kind amongst the mess. "I don't see any chickens."

"Well, it turns out, I prefer eating fresh chickens." He shrugged. I looked at him, horrified and disgusted. Did he seriously kill and eat his pets? What was wrong with this man? There was no doubt in my mind now that this man was related to Alan.

"Easy, Dani." Skylar murmured, patting my shoulder as I glowered at the man.

"Never mind that." Alan told him, ignoring us. "I just wanted to meet you. I've heard so many stories about you, all the incredible saving you've done."

"It's true." Nelson smiled proudly. "I've never met a coupon I didn't like. That's why I have so many cans of cat food. I don't even have a cat, except for this stuffed one." He held up a stuffed cat, and I don't mean the cute stuffed cats that you would get for a little kid. I mean a dead cat that was stuffed with something.

"Oh my God." I covered my eyes, turning around. Maybe if I pretended that it wasn't there, it would go away.

"Speaking of creepy stuffed cats, we should get out of here." Skylar suggested, beginning to lead me towards the door.

"No, I meant stories about you being a superhero." Alan insisted, forcing Skylar and I to stay.

Nelson paused for a long moment, considering his answer. Then, "So that's why you're here, huh?" He sighed. "Well then, let me show you my costume."

There was a moment of silence. "Um, is your friend going to stop hiding her eyes any time soon?"

"Not until it's gone." I retorted, keeping my hands where they were. I heard Skylar sigh, then some rustling of boxes.

"It's safe to open your eyes." I heard her say. I slowly lowered my hands away from my face. To my relief, that horrible monstrosity was nowhere to be seen. Nelson chuckled briefly before opening his closet door and pulling a yellow superhero suit out. I knew there was something off about it right away, but once I saw the red lightning bolt on the front, I knew that it was just some Reverse Flash costume that anyone could get at any costume store. And technically, it wasn't even a hero's costume. Alan and Skylar both looked at the costume, surprised.

"I can also be a dinosaur, or a clown who's wearing a dinosaur costume." Nelson added, grabbing a green dino costume from the closet with his dominant hand.

"You're a birthday party planner?" I asked, a feeling of dread coming over me. Oh no. Horace must have lied to Alan when he told him that his father a great superhero. This man wasn't a super anything, and once Alan realized it, it would break his heart.

"Oh no, no, no. I only do that part-time." Nelson assured us. "The rest of the time I'm unemployed."

Before he could say more, his phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket, then glanced at us. "Listen, I gotta run out for a minute." He told us, heading for the door. "Hey, would you guys do me a favor and go down to the basement and grab my laundry from the dryer? And make sure you clean out the lint trap – I collect lint."

He didn't wait for our response, instead racing out the door before we could stop him. "Well, that was no what I expected."

"Alan, I'm so sorry." I told the curly haired boy apologetically. He stared at me as if I'd suddenly grown two heads.

"Why? He's even more amazing than I expected." He told us, grinning ear to ear. Skylar and I exchanged confused looks, so he elaborated. "The dirty apartment, the ugly furniture…he really commits to the whole super secret identity thing. And I love how he trusts me enough to leave me here alone."

"That's because there's nothing here worth-taking." I commented. Though, if I swiped a couple of those cat food cans for Katy, I doubt he would even notice.

"Alan, I don't know how to tell you this, but I think your father is a Normo." Skylar told him gently.

"What?" Alan demanded. "That's ridiculous! My Uncle Horace told me that my dad is Optimo, the superhero. Why would he lie?"

"Maybe he didn't want you to find out that your father is really just Nelson, the world's worth chicken egg farmer." I replied, trying to be kind. Alan shook his head, refusing to believe us.

"Well, I'm not leaving until I find out for sure." He decided. "Also, because I'm still tired from the eight flights of stairs."

 **Kaz's POV**

If I hadn't known already that neither Oliver nor Alivia were particularly efficient with a computer. Seriously, they were terrible at this. "Benny!" Alivia eventually called in frustration. "Do you think you could please help us with a minor problem on Oliver's computer?"

"You're in luck." Benny agreed, walking over to us. "I happen to have the two qualifications that make me a computer expert: I have a Masters Degree in Computer Science and I have no friends whatsoever."

"How the heck did you afford a masters degree on a Mighty Med salary?" Oliver questioned. Benny shrugged.

"I sometimes pretend to be a Normo and drive cabs in New York on weekends for some extra cash." **(1)** He replied before looking at the computer screen. "There's your problem; Kaz is stuck in your computer."

"We know. We want him out." Oliver explained. Alivia sighed.

"Kaz, tell us exactly what happened to Benny can figure out what to do." She told me. I nodded.

"Well, all I did was put a USB flash drive into Oliver's computer." I began. Benny looked at the USB, his eyes widening.

"Oh no. This isn't an ordinary flash drive." He told me. "It's a USB prison for digital villains. Where did you find it? It should have been stored in a secure location."

"Then why'd Dani find it in the junk drawer?" I questioned.

"I was supposed to put it-oh." Benny stopped. "That explains why I found all those soy sauce packets in the safe."

"Wait, okay." I suddenly remembered something. "I remember I pressed control-alt-F8. Try typing that in."

Benny nodded and pressed the buttons. A holographic image of the guy from earlier appeared next to me, standing at twice my height. "That's the digital villain Wi-Fi!"

" _If you're watching this video, then I have been released from my USB prison, and right now I'm out there, trying to locate the Mighty Med Central Computer so I can invade it and learn top-secret information about every superhero in the galaxy and sell it to all the villains."_ Wi-Fi informed us. _"Except Counterfeit. He always uses fake money."_

"You guys have to get me out of here so we can stop him." I pleaded with my friends.

" _One more thing."_ Wi-Fi added, a smug look on his face. _"If you're thinking about stopping me, you might want to focus more on saving the fool who released me, because I have installed a virus that will erase everything on this laptop, including whoever's trapped inside it!"_

The moment his image disappeared, the far wall of my little room began to fade into darkness. It was slow, but not slow enough for me. "This is terrible!" Oliver cried. "Figures this would happen the day after my computer's warranty runs out."

"We've got to stop Wi-Fi before he finds the central computer and gets all the superheroes' information." Alivia insisted, adjusting her dark green gloves.

"Maybe first you can get me out of here? I'm about to be erased!" I protested, backing up as the far end of the room began to fade even more.

"Wait." Oliver grabbed Alivia's arm, his face lighting up with an idea. "I just thought of something, What if we print out Kaz on the new 3D printer?"

"That could work." Benny agreed.

"Or Kaz might end up permanently turned into plastic." Alivia insisted.

"Ooh, I wonder which will happen." Benny smiled. "This is so exciting."

"Not exciting!" I snapped.

"We don't have another choice." Oliver told me. I sighed, knowing that he was right.

"Benny, go hook him up to the 3D printer." Alivia ordered, standing up. "Oliver and I will try to shut down the central computer before Wi-Fi gets into it."

Oliver hit a button just below the counter and the wall to his left opened up. A massive, complicated device slid out, the area behind it glowing brightly. Suddenly, the TV screen above one of the patient's beds flickered to life and Wi-Fi flew out of it, just like he had done earlier with Oliver's laptop. "Thanks for pointing out where the central computer is." He smirked at us. "And you won't be able to shut it down.

"How are you going to stop us?" Alivia retorted, falling into a fighting stance. Wi-Fi smirked.

"Like this." He replied before jumping towards Optimo. He dissolved in mid-air, his light blue particles disappearing when they hit Titanio's suit. The hero's helmet slid out of the back of his suit, covering his head before he could protest, and he came stumbling towards Oliver and Alivia. In one fluid motion, he lifted both of them off their feet and flung them towards a nearby wall. I couldn't see where they landed, but I did hear their pained groans after they hit the ground.

 **Dani's POV**

Since Alan was refusing to leave with us, and I knew that he would never be able to get home on his own, Skylar and I were forced to remain at Nelson's as well. So, we found ourselves folding his laundry. But hey, at least Alan was willing to help out with it.

"I'm sure my dad is a superhero." The boy insisted as we folded shirts. "There must be some sort of proof around here somewhere."

He began to go through Nelson's drawers, just as the door to his apartment swung open. But it wasn't Nelson who walked in, it was Horace. My boss was dressed formerly – I guess that's how they both thought Normos dressed in public, though why I would never know – and had a very concerned look on his face. "Horace?" I questioned, surprised.

"Alan!" He ignored Skylar and I, immediately turning to his nephew. "If you're going to ransack someone's apartment, you should do it more like this!"

He pushed Alan aside and ripped the drawer out of the desk, tossing the contents onto the ground carelessly before dropping the drawer on top of them for extra measure.

"Horace, how did you find us?" Skylar asked, confused, as Horace look around. He adjusted his suit before looking pointedly at me.

"I saw that you went into Alan's file and I figured you came here." He explained. "Now, c'mon. Let's get back to the hospital. We're having a round robin limbo tournament."

I could tell that he was just saying that to try and convince Alan to leave with him, but seriously, why was limbo the most popular game at the hospital?

"No!" Alan refused to fall for the ploy. "I will not let you pull me away from the truth anymore with fun, Caribbean themed, dancing games!"

Horace sighed. "Alright, it's time you learned the truth." He approached his nephew. "Your father's really a Normo."

"No, he isn't. Ther-There's no way!" Alan protested desperately. His voice went small towards the end. "He's Optimo."

"Optimo doesn't exist." Horace told him gently. "I made up that story so you wouldn't be disappointed. You see," he had Alan sit down on the couch, "years ago, my sister, your mother, married Nelson. It was a lovely wedding; they had a make-your-own-sundae ice cream bar. But right before you were born, the villain, Razorclaw, captured your father and tried to use him to get into Mighty Med. We managed to rescue your father, but we realized that it wasn't safe for him to know about the superhero world. For his protection, we had to erase his memory."

Alan took a moment to process all of that. "I don't believe it."

"Me neither." Skylar agreed. "A make-your-own-sundae ice cream bar? How may flavors?"

Horace turned around to answer, but Alan jumped to his feet. "No!" He shouted, upset. "I mean, you're lying! Th-This is all part of my father's plan! He's such an awesome superhero, he'll do anything to keep his identity a secret! Even if it means depriving himself of his own son, and dressing as badly as Skylar and Dani!"

I glanced down at my clothes. Seriously, there was nothing wrong with these!

"I'm sorry, Alan, but I'm not lying." Horace told him solemnly. "But I'm about to." He turned around and gave us his most charming smile. "Skylar, Dani, I love your outfits. They're very flattering."

"That's it. I'm changing when I get home." I muttered as Skylar tugged at the bottom of her sweater.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Guys, do something!" Alivia shouted as she dodged another blow from Titanio's suit. In order to buy us more time, the red-head had split into four duplicates of herself, each of them trying to take him out from a different angle. However, aside from duplication, Alivia didn't have any other abilities, so none of her punches and kicks were able to do much more than annoy Wi-Fi.

"Ouch." Oliver winced as one of the duplicates took a hard blow to the stomach. "That's going to leave a bruise."

Meanwhile, Titanio was apologizing furiously for his suit's behavior, guilt lacing his tone. "Sorry kid…that's got to hurt. Don't tell Clone Master about this, okay?"

"Oliver, hurry!" I shouted, reminding him of my predicament. The darkness was spreading closer and closer, forcing me to the far edge of the tiny room.

"Kaz only has thirty seconds before he gets erased!" Finally, he remembered me! He grabbed the laptop, lifting it off the table and raced towards the 3D printer.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed as the room shook violently, the trembling only stopping when he placed the laptop down on top of the printer. "Wait!" I suddenly thought of something just as Oliver was about to print me. "If I end up permanently stuck as an action figure, I was to at least be stuck in a cool pose!"

Ignoring Oliver's frustrated look, I got down on one knee, punching a fist into the ground. Yes, if I was forced to be frozen in one position forever, then this was the position I wanted to be stuck in.

Oliver hit the switch on the 3D printer, and a strange tingling sensation began to rise from my knees. Slowly, but surely, my body began to disappear, until the tingling sensation reached my face. My vision went white for a brief moment, and then I was looking around Mighty Med, no longer trapped within the computer. Not just that, but I totally and completely made of flesh and bones!

"Yes! It worked! I'm out!" I cheered gleefully. Suddenly, a blast from Titanio's armor hit the wall near us, sending us both scrambling for cover. "Put me back in! Put me back in!" I cried.

Wi-Fi suddenly leapt from Titanio's still malfunctioning armor. "I'll be jumping into the central computer now." He announced. "I know you already would have seen that, but I like talking about myself."

"Stop!" Alivia exclaimed, charging at the villain. He disappeared seconds before she could hit him and she stumbled right on through where he used to be. All the while, he was diving into the computer.

"Now what?" Oliver questioned, looking at me as if I would have the answer.

"At least Titanio won't be attacking us anymore." One of the Alivias walked over to us, breathing hard, while one of them helped one of the duplicates to their feet. Suddenly, Titanio started blasting at us again, forcing me, Oliver, Benny, and all four Alivias to hit the deck. "C'mon, man, seriously?"

"I can't help it! Wi-Fi reprogrammed my suit so I would shoot at you!" Titanio explained apologetically.

"Oh no! Wi-Fi's tearing down the firewalls!" Benny worried aloud, pointing at the central computer. Sure enough, I could see the little firewall symbols, two of the five already deactivated.

"Duck!" Alivia ordered suddenly as another of Titanio's blasts nearly took our heads off.

"Wait!" Oliver looked at us. "If we plug the USB prison into the central, we can lock Wi-Fi back inside of it!"

"That's a good idea, Oliver!" Alivia agreed with him. I nodded.

"I'll try to stop Titanio by rewiring his exo-suit so you can get to the central computer." I offered. I looked at Alivia. "You mind being a distraction, red?"

"Let's do it." She replied confidently, racing out ahead of me to take on Titanio.

 **Dani's POV**

"Alan, please. Let's just go." Horace pleaded with his nephew for what must have been the hundredth time.

"No." The boy refused to move his butt off the couch.

"Alan, I am begging you." I chimed. "That poor, stuffed cat is staring into my soul and it's wrong and creepy and I want to leave, like now!"

They all glanced towards the stuffed animal that I was trying my best not to look at. How anyone could do that to a poor, innocent animal is beyond me. Not long after, the front door opened and Nelson walked in, a stack of steaks in his hands. He froze upon seeing Horace.

"Now look here," He said after a moment, "I already told the police, I found this meat in an abandoned alley!"

"Don't worry. I'm just here to take these kids home." He began to usher us towards the door. "C'mon, you three."

"No!" Alan dug his heels into the ground. Damn, this kid was stubborn. "I'm not going. I'm sure my dad's a superhero, and I'm going to prove it! He'll have to use his powers to stop this!"

He raised one hand and I immediately figured out his plan. "Alan, don't!" I tried to stop him, but it was too late. Alan used his telekinesis to send the small TV flying from its stand right into Nelson's chest.

"Ah!" Nelson groaned as he hit the couch, his hand reaching up to where the TV had hit him. He looked at Alan in confusion. "How did you do that? WHY did you do that?" He demanded, pain leaking into his voice.

"Alan, he doesn't have any super powers!" Skylar insisted, looking Alan right in the eye. The younger boy shook his head head.

"No, he just doesn't want to use them." He retorted, looking around. Suddenly, his face cleared. "But he'll have to to save his own son!"

He raised his hands and suddenly, the book case next to him began to wobble. Then, it began to fall.

Nelson raced forward, pushing Alan out of harm's way, only for he himself to be hit by the bookcase. The weight of it knocked him to the ground, the bookcase pinning him where he lay.

"Are you okay?" Skylar demanded as we all stared at him. He nodded, wincing.

"I'm fine." He assured us. "I was bleeding when I got here. I'm not the only one who wanted that alley meat."

"So my father is just an ordinary Normo." Alan sighed as Skylar and Horace went to help Nelson get out from under the bookcase. I shook my head.

"No. He may be a Normo, but he's not ordinary. He was incredibly brave to save you like that." I told him, putting my hand on his shoulder.

Alan smiled. "He was, wasn't he?" He replied. I nodded and Alan went to go face his father. "Thank you for saving me." He told him before hesitantly adding, "You know, I've never met my father, but whoever he is, I hope he's just like you. But with a job."

Nelson chuckled lightly at that, and allowed Alan to hug him. "You smell like rotting meat." Alan commented as he held his father tightly for what was the first and quite possibly last time. "I like it."

"C'mon Alan, we should go." Horace called him after a long moment. Alan nodded and pulled away, following us to the door. "Now, unfortunately, since he's seen you use your powers, I'm going to have to erase his memory again." He warned us. Alan nodding in understanding. "Now, go on ahead. I'll be down in a minute. And maybe when we're done, we'll take these two clothing shopping."

"Ugh!' Skylar let out a frustrated noise and stormed out of the apartment building. Alan and I followed shortly behind her. "What is wrong with our clothes?"

"Nothing, but if Horace is offering to pay for new ones, then I'm not going to argue." I reached into my pocket to check how much cash I had left on me, but to my surprise, it was empty. "Shit!"

"What?" Alan looked confused.

"I think I dropped my wallet in Nelson's apartment." I explained as they reached the stairs. "I'll be right back."

I jogged back to the apartment, hoping to grab it before Horace erased his memory – it would be pretty hard to explain how my wallet had gotten in there if Nelson didn't remember me. My hand was on the doorknob when I heard voices coming from inside.

"Are you okay, Optimo?" I heard Horace question. The Nelson sighed.

"I hate that I can't tell Alan my true identity and have a relationship with him." He sighed. I froze, my eyes going wide. Alan had been right! But why would they keep this from him?

"I know it's hard, but this is the way it has to be. Razorclaw has vowed revenge." So they were trying to protect Alan. I'd heard of Razorclaw before – comics involving him were always pretty graphic, and a good number of superheroes had lost their lives to him. No wonder they were trying to keep Alan a secret. Even if it meant keeping this a secret from Alan.

"I suppose you're right." Optimo sighed. "Still, I'm glad I finally got to meet my son. He seems like a fine young gentleman."

I had to cover my mouth to stifle my laugh. "Meh." Horace replied. A moment later, he corrected himself. "No, he's a good kid."

Suddenly, a phone rang, and I realized that one of them would be coming out really soon. I should probably get out of here – I could come back for my wallet another time.

I quickly snuck down the stairs and met up with Skylar and Alan at the curb. "Did you find it?"

I hesitated, considering tell Alan the truth. But then I remembered what Horace has said about Razorclaw and decided against it. It would be safer for him, and besides, it wasn't my place to tell him about his father. "Uh, no. No I didn't."

"Kids!" We turned to see Horace walking towards us. "Have you called a cab yet?"

"Yeah, they should be here soon." Skylar replied. He nodded and slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out a wallet.

"Dani, I think you dropped this." He offered it to me.

"Thanks." I replied, pocketing it without meeting his gaze.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Gah!" Alivia cried out as one of Titanio's blasts hit her directly in the chest. She stumbled back a few steps, a pained look on her face.

"Sorry! This hurts me as much as it hurts you!" Titanio apologized.

"I seriously doubt that." One of the other Alivias snapped before charging at him. "Any time now, Kaz!"

I ran towards Titanio, dropping to my knees at the last moment and sliding behind him, all while Alivia was taking hits. I reached upwards, taking advantage of his split attention, and grabbed a handful of his wires. I yanked on them as hard as I could, laughing in surprised relief when they gave way and Titanio's suit shut down.

"Oliver, hurry! Wi-Fi's almost through!" I called, glancing at the firewall display. Four of the fire firewalls were already down, with only one left standing.

"Got it." He nodded, grabbing the USB drive and racing towards the central computer. He stopped short in front of it, a panicked look on his face. "Oh no! There's no USB port on this thing! There's only a slot for a floppy disk; they don't even make those anymore!"

"He's about to break through the final firewall!" Alivia called, having morphed back into a singular version of herself. She was leaning heavily on the ER counter. "What do we do?"

I suddenly had an idea. "Wait!" I called, scrambling behind the counter. I pulled Horace's laptop out from his private drawer and turned it on. Thankfully, it only took one guess to get the password – of course it would be his favorite word in the world, Bridges – and I logged into his account. "Horace's laptop can bypass the central computer's firewall! I can remotely transfer all the superhero files onto here, destroy Horace's laptop, and then Wi-Fi won't have access to them."

"Good idea." Oliver nodded at me, but his tone was sarcastic. "You know what would have been even better? Whispering it, so that Wi-Fi didn't hear everything you just said!"

"You were surprisingly loud." Wi-Fi agreed, his voice coming from the central computer. "Thank you for that."

"It doesn't matter!" I retorted. "Because the transfer will be done in five…four…three…"

Wi-Fi leapt out of the central computer and flew into Horace's laptop, just as I had expected him to. "He's going to get the classified files!" Oliver exclaimed, watching Wi-Fi walk around on the screen. I smirked cockily, watching the villain open the folder. It opened up and numerous pictures of bridges appeared. "There's nothing in here but pictures of bridges. What have you done?"

I ripped the USB out of Oliver's hands, plugging it into the laptop before Wi-Fi could react. I hit the buttons necessary and trapped him within it, locking him away for good. "It worked." I grinned to myself, removing the USB and holding it up proudly.

"You trapped him." Even Oliver sounded impressed. Alivia nodded.

"You never transferred the files at all. You just tricked him into think you did." She realized, smiling.

"Once again, cheating pays off!" I announced. Then, on a second thought, I added, "Although it was more like lying than cheating, but I equally endorse both of them."

"Good for you." Alivia sighed, sliding her back against the counter until she was sitting on the ground.

"Are you alright?" I checked. She nodded, even though she was wincing.

"Oh yeah, totally. Just need a minute." She assured us. Oliver and I exchanged glances but didn't press her. Alivia wasn't the kind to hide serious injuries, so she was probably just bruised and sore, with maybe a cracked rib. Nothing that was life threatening at this moment.

 **xxx**

"So, Kaz, I hope you learned you lesson." Oliver mentioned as he put Horace's laptop away. "When you cheat, you only cheat yourself, and sometimes get sucked into a computer."

"Yeah." I agreed, grinning. And I had thought today was going to be boring.

"And because of you," He added, a note of annoyance in his voice, "everything on my computer has been deleted."

"No, not everything." I replied. He looked confused, so I continued. "I managed to save a photo of you and Skylar, and I even printed it for you in 3D."

I gestured behind him and he turned around to see the seven-foot-tall plastic statue of him in a tux and Skylar in a wedding dress, their arms linked. I smiled, thinking that he would like this very much, just as Skylar and Dani walked in.

Skylar stopped when she saw the statue, looked at it for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm not even going to ask." She decided, walking away. Dani raised an eyebrow at the statue, then looked around the room, most of the gurneys still out of the place from when we fought Titanio.

"So what did you guys do today?" She inquired, a bemused expression on her face.

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? Good, bad? Somewhere in between? I seriously want to know! Reviews motivate me to write, people! Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few updates.**

 **September 19** **th** **– There's a Storm Coming**

 **September 26** **th** **– How The Mighty Med Have Fallen**

 **October 3** **rd** **– Lair, Lair**

 **I just want to add that those are the dates I'm hoping to update, but because I'm still not completely used to my new schedule and because the next couple of chapters are double-parters, I might end up being a little late with them. I'm hoping not to be, and I'm going to try my best to update on time, but I'm apologizing in advance just in case.**

 **(1) Those of you who get this reference, you each get a double high-five for having good taste in movies.**


	17. There's a Storm Coming Part 1

**Kihonne: Okay guys, here's the deal. I'm about ¾ finished the full episode, and since the episode is a two-parter, I figure, I'll give you part one today, and hopefully part two will be up either tomorrow or the day after. Anyway, I won't talk for long – let's get onto the shoutouts already!**

 **Xxx**

 **Bluejack222: I'm glad you liked it. I hope you like this chapter too.**

 **Labgirl2001: Don't worry about not getting the reference – not everyone's seen the movie, and not everyone recognized him, but Benny's actor, Karan Soni, played a character in the Deadpool movie. Since it was technically a superhero movie, depending on whether or not you consider Deadpool a hero or an anti-villain, I felt the need to mention it. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the chapter – especially the password bit – and I hope you like this chapter just as much.**

 **Algernon: The movie was Deadpool, but don't worry about not remembering – not everyone has seen it, and I only realized that Benny's actor also played Dopinder (the taxi cab driver) the second time I saw it. I'm glad you liked it, though I agree that there was so much more that Wi-Fi could have done. He pretty much just flew between computers the entire time. Knowing who Alan's dad is, and the fact that he doesn't know, will affect Dani's relationship with Alan. She's never been much for secrets, so she's not likely to forget about this one any time soon. Sorry, I misunderstood what you meant when you said 11 episodes. Thankfully, we're not supposed to get another HIATUS this season (though that does mean that the season finale will be in October). Between the 16 episodes from season 1, the original chapters I already have planned out, and the Q &A I intend on doing, if I start the Power of Seven in January, I'll have enough chapters and episodes to last me until mid-May. By that point, Season 2 will surely have started, and I'll have even more to work with. Anyway, I really hope you like this chapter.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Experion: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Dani's POV**

"Hey, what are you still doing here?" I looked up from my stack of paperwork to see Alivia standing above me, dressed in her Geminus uniform. I was sitting in the rec room, trying to get some paperwork done in peace, but clearly, that was not going to happen.

"Uh, working." I replied.

"Why not go home? It's already seven; won't your mom be missing you?" The Irish girl questioned, leaning on the counter. I rolled my eyes.

"She's at some dinner with some business people, again." I replied. "So, no, she won't miss us."

Alivia quickly picked up on my tone. "You guys get in another fight?"

I sighed. "My grades, again. She wants me to drop soccer so I can boost my average. Which is just her trying to get me to quit soccer again, because my grade average is better than it's ever been. I mean, I can't remember the last time I got so many Bs in a row."

"Why does your mom hate soccer?" She questioned.

"I have no idea. Ollie thinks it has something to do with that time I tried to score by bouncing a ball off my head and got a concussion, but that was like six years ago, so I'm not so sure."

Alivia was quiet for a moment as I continued to fill out forms, then she smiled. "Want me to distract you?"

"Sure." I sighed, placing the pile of papers on the table and crossing my legs. "What's up?"

"Well, I wanted your opinion on what I should wear to the party." She commented. "Because Jaime's gonna be there, which is awesome, but so is my dad, which means I can't wear anything too revealing, but-"

"Whoa, back up. What party?" I interrupted her, confused. She frowned.

"Skylar's party. The one your brother's throwing for her on Tuesday." She replied. I just looked at her, completely confused as to what she was talking about. "He didn't invite you?"

"No, he…wait, did you say Tuesday?" I questioned. She nodded and I pushed myself out of my seat, annoyed. "I'll be right back."

I headed towards the ER, looking for my brother. Instead, I found Kaz, fooling around with Philip.

"Hey, have you seen Ollie?" I questioned, pulling my best friend away.

"No, why?" He asked, noting my annoyance. "Did he take the last of the Tofu Pops or something?"

"No, he's throwing a party for Skylar on Tuesday, and apparently I'm not invited." I grumbled. I caught his expression, then raised an eyebrow. "I take it you haven't gotten an invitation either."

"He's throwing a party without us?" Kaz was upset.

"Yeah, I don't know what the party's about, or the occasion, but Skylar's our friend too. You'd think we'd be invited." I agreed. Kaz suddenly looked past me.

"Why don't we go ask them about it?" He suggested, walking around me. I followed him to where Skylar and Oliver were talking, a stack of pink flyers in my brother's left hand.

"Hey guys." I greeted slowly. They smiled at us and Oliver handed us each a flyer with a date, location, and an image of a balloon on it.

"Hey, there you guys are." He smiled at us.

"You're throwing a party?" I questioned, getting right to the point.

"On Tuesday?" Kaz read off the sheet. He looked at Oliver, a little hurt. "I thought you, me, and Dee were gonna go check out that new superhero-themed restaurant on Tuesday?"

"Actually, Skylar and I went there yesterday." Ollie admitted, only a little guiltily. "I would not recommend the chili; it goes through you faster than a speeding bullet."

Both he and Skylar laughed at their little pun, while Kaz and I were both a little stung. The three of us had been super excited about the restaurant ever since it had been announced and had been waiting month after month for it to finally open. We'd all agreed to go on Tuesday after we get our paychecks so that money wouldn't be so tight afterwards, but apparently, hanging out with Skylar was more important to my brother than his friends.

"So, uh, what's the party for, anyway?" Kaz eventually asked when their laughter began to die down.

"It's for Skylar." Ollie explained. Said Calderan nodded.

"See, I was bummed that it's been a whole year since the Annihilator stole my powers-"

"So I said, 'instead of focusing on the negative, let's throw a party to celebrate the anniversary.'" Ollie added.

"And I said, 'ooh fun! Let me plan it, because the only thing better than parties is planning parties!'" Skylar's face fell slightly. "And having powers. Now I'm sad again."

"Go hand out more invitations." My brother suggested. She smiled.

"Ooh, fun!" She beamed, heading off to hand out more flyers to people. Ollie looked at us.

"Are you guys okay? You seem a little upset." He mentioned, concerned.

Before either Kaz or I could answer, Philip, the large-headed nurse, spoke up from behind us. "I am a little upset, thank you for noticing." He smiled gratefully at my brother. "I was beginning to think no one around here cares at all about how I feel!"

"Actually, I was talking to them." Oliver told him, slightly embarrassed. Philip glared at us.

"You people disgust me." He snapped before walking away. Kaz and I both turned to Ollie.

"I can't believe you're throwing Skylar a party." Kaz told him, annoyed.

"You didn't even invite us." I added, hurt.

"You never throw me a party." Kaz muttered.

"A, Skylar has your invitations," Ollie informed us. "B, you're not stranded on an alien planet with no powers, and C, I don't dream of you hugging me."

"Well, we're certainly not going to hug you now." I mumbled.

"Lately, you've been spending more and more time with Skylar." Kaz accused. "You're supposed to be our best friend, not hers."

"What, I can't do things with other people?" Ollie retorted. I looked at him.

"We didn't say that, and you know it. I hang out with Liv a lot, but I still make sure I have plenty of time to spend with the both of you." I reminded him. He rolled his eyes.

"It's not my fault that Kaz hasn't made any other friends this year. And I thought we talked about all this, Dee." He commented.

"You talked, I listened." I corrected, annoyed.

"And I've made plenty of other friends!" Kaz defended himself. Ollie crossed his arms, looking at him.

"Alright, name one of them, other than Alivia." He challenged. Kaz looked around for someone.

"Like uh…Like Philip." He decided. Philip stopped, smiling.

"That's so nice, Kaz." He said happily. "I've always like you too."

"I was actually talking about that Philip." He gestured at one of the doctors who was tending to a patient.

"You people disgust me!" Philip, the first one, snarled at us.

"Philip wait!" Ollie stopped him, holding out a flyer to him. "I was hoping you could come to Skylar's party."

"That's it." Kaz grumbled, annoyed. He looked at me. "Grab your stuff and punch out."

"Why?" I questioned, even as I grabbed my jacket from my drawer in the counter.

"We're going to that superhero-themed restaurant without him." Kaz decided. I smiled, excitement bubbling in my stomach for reasons I didn't quite understand, and followed him out the door.

 **Xxx**

"You went on a date with Kaz." Alivia insisted, grinning at me. We were sitting in the ER during my morning shift, but literally nothing was happening. There were no patients whatsoever, a rarity here, and even the boys were AWOL. Well, actually, they were in the rec room, arguing about whether or not Ollie should let Kaz copy his homework to keep him from getting a detention on the night of the party. Ollie was pretty against it at first, but Kaz had this way of getting under his skin and getting what he wanted, so I could take a good guess at who was going to win this argument.

"It was not a date." I insisted. Alivia looked at me.

"He took you out for dinner." She pointed out.

"It was just dinner." I replied.

"And then you guys went to the movies." She continued.

"The Domain was closed; what else were we supposed to do?" I questioned rhetorically.

"And then he walked you home." She finished.

"He always does that afterschool and work, why would last night be different?" I rolled my eyes. She was making WAY to big a deal about this.

"That's a date, Dani. You have been on those before, right?" My best friend teased. I ignored her last statement.

"For the last time, it was not a date." I tried to change the subject, but she jumped right in before I could.

"Well, you do like him like that, don't you?" She inquired. I felt my cheeks heat up, and I ducked my head.

"No." I mumbled. Alivia laughed.

"Liar!" She accused. I glared at her.

"Well, it doesn't even matter, because he doesn't like me." I grumbled. She gave me a sympathetic look.

"Oh, sweetheart. If you can't see the way he looks at you, you need glasses." She told me. I rolled my eyes, looking back at my computer, trying to get back to my English essay. "Why don't you ask him out? Girls do that too, you know."

"I know." I replied.

"Then why not ask Kaz out? I'm sure he'd say yes." She encouraged me.

"Because." I replied. She looked at me, so I sighed and continued. "He's not just my best friend – he's Ollie's too. And if things don't work out, then things will be awkward, and I'll lose my best friend and Ollie will feel like he'll have to choose, and since I was the one to ask him out, Ollie would blame me and choose Kaz, and then who am I left to hang out with?"

"Uh, me?" The red-head reminded me. I looked at her.

"You're out of town, like, every other week because of you being Geminus, and Jaime comes down from New York every weekend, so we barely see each other outside of work and school." I pointed out. "Not to mention, Jaime doesn't actually like me, so hanging out together sucks."

Alivia opened her mouth to object, then changed her mind. "Okay, I will admit that she's a little jealous. But I'm sure that will stop once you're seeing someone."

"Why? Does she think I'm into you?" I questioned. "No offense, Liv, but you're not my type."

"Try telling her that." The Irish girl sighed. "But enough about Jaime! We're talking about you and Kaz."

"No, we're not." I replied, logging off the computer and heading into the rec room for some peace and quiet. Or at least, something relatively close. I knew that even though she might follow me in there, she wouldn't comment about my and Kaz's supposed 'date' in front of him.

"Hey," I greeted, pushing open the door to the rec room. "You guys figure out the homework situation yet?"

"Yes!" "No!" Both boys snapped, confirming that they'd yet to come to a conclusion yet. Alivia sighed and lowered herself into one of the grey chairs in front of the TV, just as Horace walked in.

"Oh, hey Horace," I smiled at him as he approached. "What can we do for you?"

"I hear you're throwing a party." He began, getting Ollie and Kaz's attentions. "Is it for Alan?"

"No, it's for Skylar." Kaz grumbled, clearly still annoyed by that fact. Horace nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, I'm your boss, and now it's also for Alan!" He decided. We all looked at him. "His birthday is on Thursday because I'm lazy and self-absorbed."

"I barely wanted Alan as a guest," Ollie complained, "and now he's a guest of honor?"

"Exactly!" Horace beamed, much to my brother's frustration. "But we have to keep the party a secret from him; I want him to be surprised. Also, I love secrets!"

"I know." I muttered under my breath, remembering what happened last week with Nelson. I hadn't realized that I would feel guilty over not telling Alan the truth, especially since it really wasn't my place.

"I don't know…" Ollie began, but I stopped him.

"Ollie, just add a couple of blue streamers, give him his own cake, and buy him a sweater vest." I told him, exasperated. "It IS his birthday."

"Yeah, but-" He tried to protest, but Horace didn't give him the chance.

"I began that part of the conversation with 'I'm your boss' for a reason, Oliver." He told my brother.

"It's fine, Horace. We can throw the party for both of them." I assured him. He nodded, pleased with my response.

"So, it's Skylar's birthday too?" He inquired curiously.

"Actually, it's the one-year anniversary of her coming to Mighty Med." My brother explained. "Hey, did you know that they have a greeting card for that at the hospital gift shop?"

"That is so nice of you to lift her spirits," Horace told us, "before the tragic and permanent loss of her powers."

We all frowned, confused. Permanent loss of her powers? A year ago, Horace has said that they were restorable. Since when had that changed?

"What are you talking about?" Alivia questioned, leaning forward in her seat.

"Well, when superheroes from Skylar's planet are without their powers for a year, their molecular structure changes, and it becomes impossible to ever restore their powers."

"What?" We were all dismayed at this news. "That's terrible."

"There's got to be something we can do." I insisted, looking at Horace.

"I'm afraid not." Horace replied apologetically. "On the plus side, we'll be able to kick her out of the hospital."

"How is that the plus side?" Ollie demanded as Horace walked over to the simulator, checking it for something.

"We'll save so much money. You won't believe how much she eats. It's crazy!" Horace exclaimed.

"Horace!" My brother snapped. "We have to find a cure for Skylar before she loses her powers forever!"

"I know." Kaz agreed. "If she becomes a Normo, you guys will hang out even more. Hello Skoliver, goodbye Kaziver."

"Yeah, but then Kani will have more time to themselves." Alivia offered. I turned around and glared at her, my eyes wide with annoyance. She simply laughed at my reaction, then looked back at the boys. "But we can't tell Skylar about this.'

"Why not?" Ollie asked. Alivia sighed.

"You know her – she'll totally freak out, and she'll do something stupid in an attempt to get her powers back, and that will make her ten times harder to cure." The red-head reasoned. "The less she knows, the easier it will be for us."

"Well, I won't tell her, because I love secrets!" Horace grinned. "For example, Lizardman still doesn't know that I kicked him off the bowling team."

Lizardman walked in just then, carrying a bowling bag and wear a purple bowling shirt over his uniform. "Oh, Lizardman!" Horace greeted him. "Bowling's rained out again. Sorry."

Lizardman groaned in annoyance, but accepted the blatant lie as the truth and left. "Rained out, really?" Kaz questioned.

"Even for a lizard, he's a terrible bowler." Horace explained.

 **Clyde's POV**

"Clyde?" I was in the middle of organizing the collectibles on the shelves of The Domain when I heard Wallace call my name. He was standing over by a wall rack of comic books, one of them in his hands. I didn't recognize it – it was black and white and looked crudely made – but I didn't question where he'd gotten it. "I think I've found the answer to all of our problems."

"A toothbrush that gets into those hard to reach places?" I asked hopefully, my tongue subconsciously trying to dislodge that piece of corn that was stuck between my teeth.

"I wish, but no." He sighed before showing me the comic book. "It's a comic book all about Mighty Med."

"What?" I demanded, flipping through it. Sure enough, it was filled with badly drawn pictures of a hospital. "How did this get here?"

"Do you remember that kid, Alan, with the cool sweater vest, who tried to sell us his comic book, but I said no in Russian, Chinese, Swahili, and sign language?"

"You're going to need to be more specific." I told him, thinking back. A number of kids had tried to sell us their comic books over the years, trying to make a quick buck, though usually, they were trying to sell old, used versions of the stuff we already sold, rather than their own work. Wallace sighed.

"His name is Alan Diaz, and according to this storyline, he seems to be the nephew of our most hated nemesis, Horace Diaz!" He explained.

"Aha! So the sweater-vested fellow who drew this could be very useful to us." I realized. Wallace nodded.

"Yes. Not only can he help us find Mighty Med and get the other half of the Dyad of Nebulan, but he can also draw us some fancy portraits of us to replace the ones that you did." My other half gestured at the set of painting that hung above the cashier's counter. I thought they were pretty good representations of us – I'd even included my glasses – but unfortunately, since I was terrible at actually drawing people, I'd drawn us as cats.

"Look, I'm sorry I can only draw cats." I told him, a little annoyed. I thought he'd gotten over that months ago. "How are we going to find this kid?"

"I have an idea." Wallace assured me before walking past me to greet Gus, who'd just walked into the store. "Hey, Gus. Remember that Alan kid whose comic book we asked you to read?"

"Wears the cool sweater vest?" Gus confirmed. Wallace nodded.

"That's the one." He agreed, grinning. "Well, we want to publish his comic book, and we were wondering if you had a way to get in touch with him.

"I can bring him to you." Gus offered. "But that would come with a price."

"A price?" I repeated, curious what this kid wanted.

"I want my pick of any collectible in the store, for free." He proclaimed.

"Fine." Not that bad – we wouldn't lose all that much money, and if that Alan kid came through for us, it wouldn't matter in the end anyway.

"And I want your left shoe," He told Wallace, "and your right shoe." He added, looking at me.

"Fine." We both pulled off said shoes, choosing not to question his requests, and handed them to him.

"Thanks." The scrawny child grinned at us, tucking the shoes under his arm. "I gotta run."

"When are you bringing Alan to us?" I demanded.

"I can't talk, I gotta run." He told us, already heading towards the door. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and stuck it to his shirt. It read **1454.** "I'm in the middle of a marathon right now! I was just taking a breather. Wish me luck!"

And with that, he flew out the door, racing past a couple of the marathon runners.

 **Dani's POV**

After hearing the news about Skylar's powers, Ollie spent the next couple of hours trying to come up with his own solution.

"We can't just rely on Horace to come up with a cure for Skylar." He insisted. "We have to come up with one too."

"Okay, but how?" I questioned, watching him pace. When he didn't stop, I slid out of my seat and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Ollie, how?" I repeated my question clearly, trying to get him to focus.

"We'll need a DNA sample from her." He said after a moment.

"You know, I've known you my whole life, and you've never once asked me for a DNA sample." Kaz grumbled, unhelpfully. "I had to force you take mine."

"I'm not going to clone you, so just drop it." My brother sounded exasperated.

"Okay, DNA sample." I ignored Kaz. "I'm not great at chemistry, but I know hairs can contain DNA, right? All we'd have to do is pull one without her knowing."

"Okay, yeah." Ollie nodded, looking at me in surprise. "That's not a bad idea, Dani."

"Always the tone of surprise, dear brother?" I teased joking as Skylar walked into the room. To our surprise, her hair wasn't hanging loosely like normal, but rather was pinned up in tight curls around large colorful hoops designed for curling hair. Every single strand of her hair was pulled tight, making our little plan impossible.

"Skylar!" Ollie greeted, eyes staring at her hair in disappointment. "Your hair's not flowing down in easy-to-grab bunches for the very first time ever. Awesome."

"Thanks." The sarcasm in his voice went right over her head. "I'm trying something new for the party. I saw a Normo woman in a beauty salon with this hair style, so it must be beautiful."

Oh, god. She needed to get her powers back, ASAP. There was no way she was going to survive as a Normo.

"Oh, honey. What did you do to your hair?" Alivia proclaimed, walking up to Skylar with a horrified look on her face. She didn't give Skylar the chance to reply. "We need to fix this, now."

"We can get a saliva sample." Kaz whispered to us. He nodded at Skylar, who'd snuck a hard candy from the bowl Benny kept on the counter. "Hey Skylar, what're you chewing on?"

"A piece of diarrhea." She replied, confused by Kaz's curiosity. Alivia stared at her for a moment before her face cleared of its own confusion.

"Right. I keep forgetting that diarrhea means candy where you're from." She nodded. Kaz nodded, then looked at Skylar.

"Can I see it?" He requested. She frowned, but obliged, taking the candy out of her mouth. In a single swoop, Kaz pulled a plastic bag out of his pocket, grabbed the candy and dropped it in the bag.

"What are you doing?" Skylar demanded.

"On our planet, if you're going to eat diarrhea, you make sure you bring enough for everyone!" He snapped, walking away with the candy before she could object. She stared at him, then gestured at the bowl of candy a foot away from her.

"There's some right here!" She shouted, but it was too late; he was gone.

"Uh, bye." I said awkwardly, heading for the rec room and pulling Ollie along with me before either Skylar or Alivia could question us on Kaz's strange behavior.

 **Clyde's POV**

Despite our misgivings, Gus followed through with his promise. Within an hour of him finishing his marathon, he was leading Alan into The Domain.

"Alright, this better be good, because you guys interrupted my intense cardio program," The boy exclaimed, annoyed, "that I was dreaming about during my afternoon nap."

"Speaking of dreams, guess whose dream is about to come true?" I told him.

"Mine, because I just wished on an eyelash and blew it off my finger." Wallace exclaimed. I gave him a pointed look, then turned back to Alan.

"Also, we want to buy your comic book." I explained.

"Really? That's incredible!" Alan exclaimed, thrilled at the prospect. Wallace nodded.

"Yes. We want you to write 50 more issues, giving us every detail about the cool and totally make-believe world of Mighty Med that you totally invented." He told the younger boy.

"Like how to get in." I added.

"How to get out." Wallace chimed in.

"What time the guards get off duty." I finished. Alan nodded excitedly, totally buying all of this.

"I have so many things I could tell you, like-" Gus cut him off there.

"Not so fast." He interrupted. 'I'm Alan's agent."

"You are?" Even Alan was surprised by that, but Gus just nodded.

"Yes, and from on, let me do the talking." He told Alan. "Your voice is kinda annoying." He turned to us and handed me a piece of paper that he'd fished out of his backpack. "So, before I hear your offer from my client's comic books, let's start with this."

I looked over the completely blank piece of paper. "There's nothing on this."

"I know; I just wanted to get rid of that piece of paper." He replied nonchalantly. "Now, for the sale of his comics, by client will settle for no less than a billion dollars."

"We'll give you a hundred." Wallace offered. Alan grinned.

"I'll take it!" He exclaimed.

"Sorry, but we just got another offer." Gus turned it down on his behalf.

"From who?" I demanded incredulously.

"From me! This comic sounds like it could be worth a billion dollars!" He pulled another piece of paper out of his bag. "Here's my offer."

"Deal." Alan took the paper from him.

"But there's nothing written on there!" Wallace protested.

"I know." Alan nodded. "I just really needed a piece of paper."

"Slow down." Gus stopped him before he could do anything with the paper. "As your agent, ten percent of that is mine."

Alan sighed, but ripped a tenth of the paper off and handed Gus the tiny piece before looking back at his own. Wallace and I exchanged looks, knowing that we would need a new plan.

 **Dani's POV**

"Okay, so I isolated Skylar's chromosomes in the centrifuge, and interlaced regenerative tissue from heroes with comparable superpowers." Ollie droned on, trying to explain his process to us. "So do you think that might work?"

Meanwhile, Kaz and I were just staring at him, feeling like idiots. "Um, you did what with the what in the what?"

"Honestly, man, the only words I understood were 'Skylar', 'heroes', and 'superpowers'." Kaz agreed, holding open the door to the rec room.

"I think it would work." Alivia mentioned as we walked in, her being the only one of us to understand a thing he just said. Horace and Skylar were inside, the latter standing in the training simulator and the latter standing behind one of the many machines that connected to it.

"Hey Skylar, looking," Ollie began to greet her, until her arms exploded right out of her body. "AHHH!"

We all stared at her in horror at what just happened, and unable to understand why she wouldn't have even reacted.

"Relax, relax." Horace quickly assured us. "That's not actually Skylar; I created a holographic simulation of her to run tests."

"Wow!" Ollie exclaimed, once he got over his shock. He moved closer to her, examining the hologram with interest. "It looks exactly like her. Her face, her legs, her hair…"

"Dude, stop flirting with hologram Skylar!" Kaz snapped, shaking his head at my brother.

"I'm just glad the real Skylar's arms didn't explode." I commented as Ollie stepped away from the hologram.

"Of course not." Horace reassured us. "That won't happen until Tuesday."

"What?" Alivia demanded as we all stared at him. Horace sighed.

"I have terrible news." He admitted. "I accelerated the timeline on the simulation and discovered that not only will Skylar lose her powers forever, but on Tuesday, her limbs will explode and she'll die."

"So, if Skylar doesn't get her powers back, she'll die on Tuesday?" Ollie murmured, eyes as wide as saucers.

"No, her arms will explode on Tuesday. She'll die on Thursday." Horace corrected him. He gave us apologetic looks. "I've done everything I can. All we can do now is make her comfortable."

"But…but…" Ollie protested, too shocked for words.

"Give her these." Horace continued, pulling a pair of very fluffy slippers. "Until her feet explode, which will also happen on Tuesday, it'll be like wearing a hug on her feet."

"We have a possible cure." I interrupted him, suddenly remembering why we'd come in her. Ollie nodded, pulling the glass vial out of his pocket and handing it to Horace.

"Horace, can you run the simulation with this serum? Maybe it'll work." He suggested. Horace didn't reply, but immediately put the serum in the simulation. He pressed a button and for a moment, we were all hopeful that it would work. Then her head exploded.

"If it makes you feel any better," Horace said when he saw the distraught look on Ollie's face, "that was already going to happen on Wednesday."

"Hey," I put my hand on his shoulder, "her people's heads grow back, remember? It's not the end of the world."

"She's going to die, Dani." He told me, his tone cold. I nodded sadly.

"Okay, that means that we have until midnight to find a way to Skylar's powers back, or she'll explode." Alivia stated. She had a determined look on her face. "Time to brainstorm, people!"

 **Xxx**

"What have we come up with so far?" Ollie questioned, pacing in front of a white board in the rec room. We all glanced down at our notepads. "Alivia."

"Super glue?" She suggested. He gave her a look. "Hey, if we use enough of it, then her arms might not come off!"

"Dani?" My brother turned to me expectantly, but I just shook my head guiltily.

"Sorry, Ollie." I apologized, upset with myself. Skylar was one of my best friends, and I couldn't think of anything to save her. I knew I should have a million thoughts, but my mind was a complete blank.

"Kaz, please." He looked at Kaz pleadingly, a look of desperation on his face.

"Um." Kaz grinned sheepishly before reading off his notepad. "'Ways to Get Skylar's Powers Back. Number One.' And then a doodle of a guy peeking over a fence."

"Guys, come on! This is Skylar we're talking ab-" He stopped.

"What?" Kaz questioned, looking at him as if he could see the wheels turning in my brother's head.

"Whenever the Annihilator steals a superhero's powers, he keeps them as a trophy." He said quickly, almost tripping over his words in his excitement. "If we can find his lair-"

"We can break in and steal back Skylar's powers!" Kaz exclaimed, finishing his sentence.

"But how?" Alivia questioned. "The location of the Annihilator's lair is one of the biggest secrets in the superhero world."

"That, and the fact that the Crusher dyes his hair." Kaz added, a smirk on his face. "That guy's been 29 for, like, ten years. You ain't fooling anyone, man."

"Experion." The name came to me instantly. Everyone was staring at me, waiting for me to elaborate. "He was working for the Annihilator. He would know, wouldn't he? Maybe we can talk him into helping us."

"Experion is locked up in Mighty Max prison, remember?" Alivia reminded me. "There was a fight in the dark, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." I nodded. "Ollie wore a wig and dressed up in Skylar's costume."

"Stop bringing that up!" Ollie snapped at me. I smiled at him teasingly.

"Fine, but I'm keeping the picture as my phone's wallpaper." I mocked him.

"Look, we're running out of time." Ollie insisted. "We have to go to Mighty Max right now."

"Guys." Alivia said softly. She nodded towards the other end of the room, where Skylar was talking to the Crusher.

"She can't find out." I murmured. Ollie nodded in agreement.

"She'll want to battle the Annihilator and she'll get hurt." He agreed.

"Or worse." Kaz added. We all exchanged looks. "No one say a word."

"Agreed." We all decided together.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Skylar questioned cheerfully, walking over to us.

"Nothing!" We all said, maybe a little too quickly.

"What are you up to?" Alivia questioned, quickly covering for us.

"I'm creating a signature drink for my party." She explained, smiling at us. "Does ranch dressing go with ginger ale?"

"Skylar, c'mon!" Kaz looked at her, disappointed. "Ranch dressing goes with everything!"

"Great!" She grinned at us, as Philip and a couple of nurses walked past us. "Thanks for your help."

"Oh, you're welcome!" Philip cried, mistakenly thinking that she was talking to him. "It's so nice to have someone appreciate me!"

"Actually, I was talking to them." She said sheepishly.

"You people disgust me!" Philip spat, storming away from us.

"Anyway," I commented, shaking my head as we all got up, "we'll see ya later, Skylar."

"Where are you guys going?" She asked curiously.

"Um…" We hadn't thought of that.

"Nowhere." Kaz lied. We all bolted from the room before she could question us more, heading straight for Mighty Max.

 **Clyde's POV**

"So, what do you think of my comic book?" Alan questioned hopefully, looking at Gus. The two boys had been sitting on the couch in the store for a few minutes now, discussing their new business with each other.

"This going to be the next big thing…that I throw into this trash can." Gus announced, tossing the comic book into the nearby trash can. Wallace and I exchanged looks, watching them in silence. Maybe this would work out in our favor.

"What?!" Alan demanded, leaping to his feet.

"You're fired, and you can have your ten percent back." Gus told him. Alan didn't even get the chance to respond before he continued. "Anyways, I gotta bounce."

"What? Wait!" The black-haired boy tried to stop him. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Seriously, I gotta bounce." Gus insisted. "I'm in the middle of a bounce-a-thon right now! Wish me luck!"

He fled from the store, grabbing one of those kiddie riding bouncy balls on his way out. He headed straight into the middle of a crowd of kids bouncing on similar balls.

"Wallace," I looked at my other half "I just thought of a way to manipulate Alan into bringing us the other half of the Dyad."

Without waiting for his response, I walked over to Alan, shoulders back and a mask of determination on my face.

"Alan, listen. About your comic book…Look, we know it's not made up and your Uncle Horace is the head of Mighty Med." I said quickly.

"Uh…I don't know what you're talking about." The kid lied nervously.

"It's okay." I assured him. "We're with the League of Heroes, and we're recruiting you."

"Here are our invisible badges." We both pretended to show him invisible badges. I smiled inwardly – that was good thinking on Wallace's part.

"Okay, your story checks out." Alan nodded, completely buying the entire thing.

"Anyway, we think you could be the greatest superhero of all time." I continued. He beamed at the compliment.

"I knew I was meant for greatness, despite what my Uncle Horace thinks!" He exclaimed. "All that dreaming about doing exercise will finally pay off!"

"Yes." Wallace agreed, holding up our half of the Dyad of Nebulan. "Now, all we need if your Uncle's half of this, the Dyad of Nebulan, which combined with our half will give you endless powers."

"Wait." Alan frowned. "Why wouldn't my Uncle Horace have told me about this?"

"He's keeping it a secret! He's jealous of you fulfilling your destiny!" Wallace lied. Alan shook his head, looking at us suspiciously.

"I don't believe you." He told us. "My Uncle Horace would never hide something that important from me. Never!"

He dashed off, presumably about to go question his uncle. Which meant that we were screwed.

"Great! Now what?" I demanded, panicking. "If he tells his uncle that we work at the Domain, Diaz is going to come after us! We need to get out of town. I hear the Poconos are nice."

"No!" Wallace snapped. "I refuse to hide, or take a lovely three-day weekend getaway. Let him come. We will defeat him and fine on fresh Horace D'oeuvres!"

I looked at him. "Horace D'oeuvres? Really?"

"I'd like to see you come up with Horace Diaz-related wordplay."

"Fine." I accepted the challenge, then tried to think. "Horace Race Diaz…Horace Radish Diaz…okay. Fine, you're right." I submitted. "I'm sorry."

 **Dani's POV**

"This way." One of the security guards led us through the halls of Mighty Max. This prison was designed to hold hundreds of supervillains, with cells as far as the eye can see. "Here we are."

"Thank you." Alivia nodded at the guard and he walked away. We then turned to face Experion's cell. It was the same as the rest of them a tiny, hexagonal-prism shaped room with nothing more than a couple of slabs for beds and a toilet in the far corner. There were no bars on the cell, giving us a clear view inside. Experion himself was lying on the slab, facing the wall, asleep.

"I don't get it." Ollie frowned, looking at the cell. "Mighty Max holds some of the most dangerous villains in the universe. Why are there no bars on the cells?"

"Because this is so much more effective." Alivia told him, reaching out. It looks like she was going to reach through the cell, but instead, she tapped an invisible barrier that stood between us and Experion. It made a weird, yet cool, sound when she touched it, that section of the barrier lighting up gold for a brief second.

"Cool!" Kaz grinned, beginning to tap out a beat on it. "I sound so good!"

I laughed in agreement, even though there was complaining grumbles coming from inside the cell. "Would you knock it off? I'm trying to-" Experion rolled over, a surprised look appearing on his face when he saw us. "Oh, it's you four."

"Hello, Experion." Alivia smirked beneath her mask. "How's Mighty Max treating you?"

"Oh, great." He rolled his eyes, tone dripping with sarcasm. "Let me give you a tour. This is it. I never leave this room."

"We heard Megahertz is your cellmate." Ollie commented thoughtfully. "Where is he?"

"Solitary confinement." He replied dismissively. "He broke a guard's name tag."

"That's it?" I questioned.

"On my planet, name tag means pelvis." Experion explained.

"Got it." I nodded. He looked around, trying to see if there was someone behind us.

"So, uh, how's Skylar doing?" He asked, actually sounding sincerely concerned.

"Oh, you mean since you tried to capture her and bring her to the Annihilator?" Ollie challenged.

"Yeah, I feel bad about that." Experion admitted. When he saw my skeptical look, he continued. "I tried writing her an apology note and everything, but all I could come up with was 'dear Skylar' and a picture of a guy looking over a fence."

"It's the go-to doodle." Kaz chuckled.

"Look, if you really want to make it up to Skylar, you can help us out." I announced. He looked at me, giving me his full attention. "It's been a year since her powers were taken. That means, by midnight tonight, if she doesn't get them back, her arms are going to explode, and by Thursday she will be dead."

Experion swallowed. "What do you need?"

"We suspect that the Annihilator still has her powers. We need to find his lair, and get access to it." Alivia informed him. He nodded.

"Fine, I'll tell you, but only to help Skylar." He agreed.

"Fair enough." Ollie nodded.

"The Annihilator keeps her powers on a shelf in his lair, like you would a trophy or a vase or a ceramic elephant or-"

"We know what shelves are for." Ollie cut him off. "We're kinda in a rush here. Where's his lair?"

"You know that old abandoned slaughter house?" He questioned in response. I gulped nervously. Slaughterhouses, gross.

"Yeah?" Kaz nodded.

"It's about four blocks East of there in a pretty nice neighborhood." He continued, much to my, and everyone else's relief. "Underground, in a dark, scary sewer." The boys both groaned but to be honest, I'd take sewer over slaughterhouse any day. "The Annihilator leaves his lair everyday between 2:00 and 4:00 – he likes to annihilate after lunch."

"Alright, how do we get in? He's got to have security." Alivia said. Experion nodded.

"The only way in is through a system of retina scanners." He replied. "The only other person who's authorize to enter is me."

"Great." Oliver muttered. "Then there's no way we can get in."

"Not unless we had one of his eyeballs, but obviously, that's never going to – what are you doing?" I cut myself off, staring at Experion is disgusted horror as he reached towards his face and literally pulled his own eyeball out of his skull, hardly even flinching.

"What?" He looked at our horrified expressions in confusion as another eyeball appeared in the place of the one he'd just removed. He blinked a couple of times before continuing. "You guys can't grow new eyeballs?"

"No." I retorted, staring at the eyeball between his fingers. He rolled his eyes – the ones in the sockets, at least.

"Normos." He muttered under his breath.

 **Kihonne: Okay guys, due to my schedule issues, I'm not going to post dates for the next few chapters, since I'm probably just going to post them as soon as I've finished proof-reading, but the next couple of chapters will be There's a Storm Coming Part 2 and How The Mighty Med Have Fallen.**

 **Anyway, tell me what you guys thought. Good, bad? In-between? I want to know!**


	18. There's a Storm Coming Part 2

**Kihonne: Alright guys, I'm back with part 2 of There's a Storm Coming. I meant to get this out a couple of days ago, but things have been a little crazy here, so sorry to keep you all waiting. I don't want to make you wait much longer though, so I'll go straight to shoutouts from here.**

 **Xxx**

 **LabGirl2001: I'm glad you liked it. I hope you enjoy this one just as much.**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: Well, I figure it would be an interesting story arc to explore. Anyway, thank you very much for the compliment, and I hope you like this chapter too.**

 **FangirlIsh13: Oh my god, you have no idea how happy I am to be at the drama episodes. As much as I like writing comedy, I LOVE writing drama and suspense, and I've seriously been going crazy trying to get through the drama-free season 1. But now, at long last, we've reached the really good stuff. This season will be full of drama, I promise you. More so than the TV series had either, so I think you'll enjoy that. The Slylar Storm episodes are some of my favorites (it's my second favorite Mighty Med arc, just behind the Mr. Terror one), and yes, you might have seen a little foreshadowing. But I can't say too much on the matter at the moment. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Avaoreo1112: I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you like part 2 just as much. Thanks for the concern, by the way. I am feeling much better. Pretty sure the concussion is all cleared up, in fact.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Catastrophe: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, and anything else that you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Dani's POV**

"Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew." Alivia complained the entire way down to the Annihilator's lair, holding the eyeball out as far as she could from herself. "I hate you guys for making me do this."

"Just scan it," Kaz said, rolling his eyes. She sent him a glare, but did as she was told, holding the eyeball under the scanner until the door in front of us slid open. The lair was pretty much as you'd expect – dark, gloomy, and creepy. There were cobwebs hanging from the corner of the ceiling, and almost everything was cracked or damaged in some shape or form. At the far end of the room, there was a set of three very long shelves, lined with brightly glowing, multicolored cylinders, each with a label underneath.

"What do I do this thing now?" Alivia wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Just put it in the eyeball recycling bin." I suggested, nodding towards a blue bin labelled 'eyeballs'.

"Look." Kaz walked towards the shelves. "It's all the superheroes' powers that the Annihilator stole."

"Yeah." Ollie agreed. "And look! Their weapons!" He pointed at a nearby table that was littered with different weapons.

"Absolute Zero's freeze ray." I listed, going through them. "Owlgirl's whip of truth. Hey, Liv, isn't this yours?"

I handed her a dark green, handheld blaster. "My dad's actually." She shoved the weapon into her back pocket. "Thanks."

"Here's Skylar's powers!" Ollie exclaimed suddenly. We turned to see him reaching for a hot pink cylinder. Even without a label, we should have guessed that it was hers. He stumbled a bit after he lifted it up. "Whoa! I didn't know superpowers were so heavy."

Just as we were about to walk out with our friend's powers, we all heard clanging coming from the hallway.

"Oh no." Kaz froze. "The Annihilator's coming."

"You don't know that." I laughed nervously, trying to be optimistic. "Maybe it's just someone picking up with eyeball recycling."

Then we heard growling.

"I think the eyeball recycling guy comes on Wednesdays." Ollie replied, backing up as we heard more growling. Then, the Annihilator walked in.

Now, comic books usually exaggerate their characters, making them look bigger than life. Villains had the tendency to be big and scary in the comics and just be like normal people, albeit evil, in costumes when we met them for real. But not the Annihilator. He was six, maybe seven feet tall, a black, skin tight suit stretched tight over massive muscles. There was a black visor-like mask covering most of his head, blocking his face from view, but I could feel his glare burning holes in us. A massive black bazooka-shaped weapon hung from a shoulder strap, close enough for him to reach for it and kill us all in a matter of seconds.

"They don't draw him nearly scary enough." Ollie gulped, quickly hiding Skylar's powers behind his back. I nodded in agreement, backing up a little more, until I was bumping shoulders with him and Kaz.

"Who are you?" The Annihilator demanded, his deep voice rumbling. "What do you want?"

"Uh…We're with the eyeball recycling department." Kaz spoke first, always quick to come up with a lie. I nodded quickly.

"Yeah. There, uh," I glanced inside the blue bin, "There seems to be a nose and a couple of lips in here."

"Usually, we would write you up, but we'll let you off with a warning." Ollie added.

"We should be going." Alivia pushed us forwards, towards the door, but before we could make our escape, he pressed a button on his glove, and the door slid shut.

"Now who should I finish off first?" He demanded. Alivia slid into a fighting stance, her hands tightening into fists.

"Bring it." She challenged, splitting into two. Kaz, Ollie, and I bolted, leaping out of the way as the Annihilator caught both of her in an invisible ray. We saw both Alivias stumble, a powdery glow flowing from them to the Annihilator's hand. "Guys, help!"

Kaz grabbed the nearby Freeze Ray, aimed it at the Annihilator, and pulled the trigger. A blast of ice shot out of it, flying straight at him, but the Annihilator spun around and caught it in his hand like it was nothing. Thankfully, it did give Alivia the chance to escape, the two copies darting in opposite directions to get away from him. "He's absorbing the power!" Kaz cried in shock.

The Annihilator placed the ball of ice power into a glass capsule and loaded it into his bazooka. "And he's loading it into his Power Cannon!" I added, dropping to the ground just as the Annihilator shot at us. Luckily, he didn't have the best aim and ended up hitting a pipe right next to us. Steam burst from the hole in the pipe as the Annihilator loaded another capsule into his weapon.

Kaz didn't waste any time though, quickly taking another shot, but this time, at a pipe next to the Annihilator. This time, even more steam came out, filling the room with it. "Very clever!" We heard the Annihilator call as we quickly snuck through the steam, grateful for the cover it provided. "But there's no way out of here. You can't hide from me."

"Through here." I whispered, feeling the wall on our left turn into a grate. I pulled off the metal grate and crawled through. Thankfully, it led straight into the sewers again (I never thought I'd start a sentence like that with the word 'thankfully'), and a manhole cover was in clear view. We were free!

 **Clyde's POV**

"We need a new plan to get the dyad." Wallace stated as we paced around the store. Since Alan had run off, presumably to tell his uncle about us, we were fresh out of ideas.

"I got it." I announced. "But I'll need an eyelash."

Without waiting for permission, I plucked an eyelash from the corner of his eye, made a wish, and blew it off my finger. "Ow!" My other half protested.

"I wished a solution would just walk through that door." I told him.

"That won't work." Wallace sighed, "You need to wish on your own eyelash."

I smirked and gestured as Alan Diaz walked into our store, a little breathless and definitely upset about something.

"I apologize; I was mistaken." Wallace told me before turning to Alan. "Alan?"

"You were right about my Uncle. I thought I could trust him, but he betrayed me." He cried. "So I took matters into my own hands."

Wallace and I exchanged looks, wondering how in the world Diaz managed to betray this kid so bad he'd come to us, or what he was talking about. "I took the dyad into my own hands," Alan continued, and to our shock, he pulled his uncle's half of the dyad out of his pocket, "which I will now place into your hands."

Wallace turned to me, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. "I'm beside myself with excitement."

"No, you're beside me with excitement." I pointed out. He rolled his eyes.

"Well, you look just like me, so I feel like I'm beside me with excitement." He retorted.

Alan, meanwhile, was grinning ear to ear. "I'll prove to my uncle that he was wrong to not believe in me. Now, let's combine the two halves of the dyad and make me the most powerful being ever!" He exclaimed gleefully. "I will never be betrayed again!"

"Yeah, about that," Wallace and I smirked. "There's been a slight change in plans."

 **Xxx**

After about a minute, we had Alan tied down to a chair, unable to move except for his head. "Wow, this is not at all what I thought would happen." He admitted. Wallace smirked.

"Your Uncle split us into the two pathetic creatures you see before you, but now, with both halves of this dyad, we can restore ourselves to our true form, the supervillain Catastrophe!" He proclaimed, announcing to the world the plan we'd been working on for years. Finally, our time had come!

"And the first target of our super-villainy will be Mighty Med." I added. "And then that deep dish pizza place."

"Yeah, because that's not pizza." Wallace agreed.

"It's casserole!" We both exclaimed at the same time. Wallace turned on Alan.

"Now, tell us where Mighty Med is." He ordered. Alan shook his head defiantly.

"You'll never get that information out of me!" He retorted. I raised an eyebrow, then gestured at an action figure that was on display on the counter.

"Imagine this is your head." I instructed, before raising my hand and melting the action figure where it stood. Alan got the message loud and clear.

"2635, Cross Station Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19265-0477. The access to Mighty Med is through the janitor's closet in the ER of Memorial Hospital." He said quickly, trembling in fear.

"Yeah, thank you very kindly for that." I replied, nodding at Wallace. He grabbed a scarf from the back and tied it tightly around Alan's mouth, silencing that obnoxious voice of his.

"Now, why don't you go ahead and make yourself at home." Wallace said, pushing Alan's chair behind the curtain that separated the back from the front.

"That is, if you're usually gagged and tied up when you're at home." I added, laughing as we walked out of the Domain, heading straight for Mighty Med.

 **Dani's POV**

"I can't believe how close we came to being annihilated." I muttered as we made our way into the rec room. Thankfully, when we looked out through the holes in the manhole cover, we found that it lead to a completely deserted street, saving us from having to wait until traffic was over to climb out, nor did we have to answer awkward questions as to why we were in the sewers in the first place. I glanced at Alivia, who followed behind us tiredly. "Hey, you okay? The Annihilator didn't…"

"No, I still have my powers." She replied, waving me off. "Another minute, and my answer would have been different, but he didn't have enough time to take them from me." She sent Kaz a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it." He shrugged. Ollie sighed, a small smile on his face as he examined the glowing cylinder in his hands.

"At least we can save Skylar's life now." He pointed out, always finding the silver-lining in a bad situation.

"You've never risked your life to save mine." Kaz muttered, obviously still jealous about Ollie and Skylar's friendship. I didn't really blame him – I missed how often Ollie and I used to hang out – but I was started to see it as not quite a bad thing. If Skylar and Ollie actually went out, not only would my brother be happy, but Kaz and I could spend more time together without it be suspicious.

"Oh really?" Ollie rolled his eyes. "I entered your nightmare to help you defeat Megahertz, I battled a fire demon from the lower dimension, and I rescued you from a rampaging smoke monster who tried to possess your soul."

"Yeah, but that was like weeks ago." Kaz blew it off. Ollie shook his head, sighing.

"Okay, now that the time pressure is gone, I can give Skylar her powers later, when we're alone."

"This had better work." Alivia told him. Kaz nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I don't want Skylar to explode." He agreed. "Because then you'll be all sad and I'll get even less attention."

We turned our heads as the doors to the rec room opened, and Skylar walked in, carrying a copy of her usual uniform. "There you are!" She grinned. "I want your guys' opinions on something. I can't decide which outfit to wear to the party. The one I have on, or this one?"

"I don't see the difference." I replied, looking at them. Skylar looked at me as if I had three heads.

"They couldn't be more different! This one has sleeves, and this one doesn't." She insisted.

"Well, I like the one with the sleeves." Ollie offered. "Because you have arms."

"Until midnight." I added. Ollie elbowed me in the ribs, shutting me up. Skylar beamed and nodded, heading back into the hall, just as Kaz began to freak out.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no." He muttered, patting his pockets, his face pale. "Where is it?"

"What's wrong?" Alivia demanded.

"My phone; I can't find it." Ollie and I exchanged looks, remembering how bad Kaz took it when he lost his last phone. "Where is it?" He began to hyperventilate. "Can't breathe, can't breathe, must have access to internet at all times."

"Here." I sighed and pulled my own phone out, handing it to him. "Wi-Fi."

He zeroed in on it, not actually pressing any buttons, but holding it tightly. "This is a disaster!" He exclaimed, but at least he seemed a bit calmer now.

"This is not a disaster; Skylar exploding would have been a disaster." Ollie reasoned.

"Not helping, Oliver." Alivia hissed before looking at Kaz. "Calm down. It's gotta be around here. We'll find it."

"Good." He nodded jerkily. "We better – it's the only one with a copy of that picture of Oliver dressed as Skylar."

I chuckled inwardly. The only copy that they know about, at least.

"Well, we've look everywhere, I guess it's gone." Ollie gave up searching the moment Kaz said that.

"Where could it be?" Kaz wondered aloud, checking under seat cushions.

 **Experion's POV**

I chuckled to myself as I typed on Kaz's cellphone, amused. The idiot Normo probably hadn't even noticed it was missing, and by time he did, it would be too late.

"Where did you get that phone?" Megahertz, fresh from solitary confinement, demanded when he caught me using it. I didn't look at him, my attention focused on the tiny screen in front of me.

"I used my magnetic powers to take it out of Kaz's pocket when he came to visit." I replied dismissively.

"He came to visit you and not me? What the heck?" Megahertz shouted, furious. I rolled my eyes; he was always so dramatic. "I met him first! I tried to destroy him months before you did."

"Well, you can try again in a few minutes." I assured him. "The force field locking us in here is computer-generated, and I can deactivate it using a decryption algorithm that I deisgned."

I pressed the last button I needed to and the force field keeping us in our cell glowed gold for a brief moment before disappearing all together. I waved my hand through where the force field used to be just as alarms began blaring all over Mighty Max, proving that my plan had worked.

"Let's get out of here." I told Megahertz, hopping down from my cell with a smirk. "Let's go to Mighty Med so I can finally finish off Skylar Storm."

"Right." Megahertz agreed. He looked behind us at the approaching guards. "But first, can I borrow the phone?" I handed it to him and he held it up with his left hand, his right one extended backwards. "I want to take a selfie of me doing this." He took a picture just as he shot a deadly blast of red electricity at the nearest guards, knocking them out instantly. I chuckled in amusement, wondering why it took me so long to turn to the dark side.

"Hey, can you send me a copy of that?" I requested. "My email's magnetdude caldera . outerspace."

 **Dani's POV**

"Well get you a new phone." I promised Kaz, patting his back gently. After two hours of searching, we still couldn't find it, and it was time for Skylar's party. But unfortunately, the party wasn't going the way Skylar had been hoping it would. The food was out – both superhero food and Normo food, since many heroes could eat both - and the music was playing, but so far the only people here were Jaime, Alivia, Skylar, Ollie, Kaz, and myself. Not the greatest turn-out, considering she handed out at least a hundred invitations.

"Where is everybody?" Skylar questioned, deeply upset. She looked around in disappointment, clearly hoping other people would show.

"They probably heard that the party was also for Alan and bailed." Alivia murmured to us. Jaime hummed in agreement, drinking some of her punch.

"This party kinda sucks." She commented.

"Hey, don't worry." Ollie put his hand on Skylar's arm, giving her a reassuring smile. "It's going to be great. And I have an incredible gift for you."

"Really?" Skylar perked up a little. Ollie nodded.

"Trust me – this is going to be a night to remember."

 **Clyde's POV**

"According to Alan, Mighty Med is just on the other side of this wall." I told my other half as we squeezed into the janitor's closet. Wallace nodded, smirking.

"When we're finished in there, it's gonna be a Horace-fic Diaz-ster." He declared. I nodded at him appraisingly.

"You know what? I actually like that one." I complimented him.

"Thank you." He smiled back, before pulling out one half of the dyad. I pulled out my half and we slowly brought them together, feeling the power wash over us.

"Now, to restore ourselves to our true villainous form!" We both announced, more than ready to get out revenge.

 **Dani's POV**

"Okay, my nachos are soggy." I complained, lifting a limp chip off my plate. We'd been sitting here for hours, but no other guests had shown up. Hell, we didn't even get any new patients.

"It's nine o'clock!" Skylar exclaimed, pacing around the room. "This party sucks."

"Skylar, I'm sure more guests will be here any second." Alivia offered, trying to raise the girl's spirits, even though we all knew the chance of any guests showing up at this point were slim to none.

As if on cue, the doors to Mighty Med exploded, fragment flying towards the wall. We all ducked instantly, shocked and confused. Our confusion increased when a very tall man, with tight, red skin, walked in. He wore a black uniform, with dark colored armor around his waist and wrists, and bronze shoulder pads with red stars on them. A silvery, circular amulet hung from his neck, moving slightly as he turned his head to look around the room. His nose looked strange too, I noticed. Not like Lord Voldemort weird, but as if two noses had been glued together weird.

"Okay, what the heck?" Kaz demanded.

"I am Catastrophe!" He announced, in a soft voice that was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. "I have returned for my revenge."

"Uh, fresh out of revenge. Could I interest you in some nachos instead?" I laughed nervously. I remembered the Catastrophe comics very well, from back when I was little. They were some of Ollie and my first comics, but they'd always been far too graphic for me to enjoy. What I did know about this guy was that he was not messing around.

"Where is Horace Diaz?" He questioned, ignoring me. Two guards ran forward with their weapons, attempting to take him out, but he disposed of them like they were nothing, using an incredible amount of strength to throw them into the counter so hard, the thing crumbled with them.

"We'll never tell." Jaime stepped forwards, hands glowing with sparks of light and electricity. Alivia followed suit, splitting it two so she could cover both her girlfriend's left and right side.

"You'll have to go through us." Both Alivias state in unison.

"Well, then who's going to deal with us?" An all-too-familiar voice chuckled. Experion and Megahertz both stepped inside, smirks on both of their faces.

"Experion?" Skylar's eyes widened in surprise. She looked at us. "After he tried to kill me, I specifically put him on the Do Not Invite list!"

"How did you guys get out of Mighty Max?" Kaz demanded. Experion smirked and pulled Kaz's phone out of his back pocket.

"I 'borrowed' your phone." He smirked before tossing it back to Kaz. "Oh, and by the way, I used up your entire data plan."

Kaz caught the phone, a horrified look on his face. "Hey Kaz?" I said softly. He looked at me. "I found your phone."

He gave me a half-hearted glare, which would have been a little more effective if I hadn't seen his lips twitching upwards, as if he was holding back a smile.

"Four against three, I like these odds." Skylar smirked before charging at Experion. Jaime went for Megahertz, likely because she knew that she was immune to his electric blasts, and the Alivias tried to take down Catastrophe.

Skylar and Experion traded blows, but just like the last time they fought, Experion not only knew Skylar's every move before she made it, but he was also stronger and faster than her. She took a heavy punch to her gut, then Experion flipped her over his shoulder. She groaned as she hit the ground, and Experion stepped over her, not pulling any of his punches. Thankfully, the Crusher chose that moment to finally arrive at Skylar's party.

"Good news! My wife made spinach dip in a bread bowl…oh geez" His pleasant mood dissipated the moment he saw what was going on. He dropped the bread bowl instantly and hit Experion so hard in the back that the Calderan went flying, landing on a gurney with a groan.

Meanwhile, Megahertz and Jaime were pretty much destroying Mighty Med's walls with their powers. They were each shooting blasts of electricity at each other, not to hurt the other, but to distract them while they physically attacked. It would have been a good plan too, if they both hadn't thought of it. However, Jaime was clearly experience with fighting bigger and stronger villain, using her speed and light-weight to her advantage as she darted around him, landing sharp kicks and punches to his exposed sides. Unfortunately, Megahertz was quickly catching on, and it wouldn't be long before he caught her before she could get away.

Alivia was having the most trouble out of all of them, I thought. Catastrophe was all powerful, and even though she'd split into four of herself, she had already had a long, tiring day and wasn't at her peak. She managed to get a few good hits in, but Catastrophe wasted no time in disposing of her duplicates, destroying two of them where they stood, and knocking the other two into a nearby wall as hard as he could. To our horror, neither duplicate attempted to get up, either knocked out completely or worse.

Catastrophe looked at her briefly, as if he was considering what to do with her, then walked away and headed down a hall near him, likely looking for Horace. "We have to do something." I hissed to the boys, watching as Megahertz took out the Crusher.

"I need to get Skylar to the rec room." Ollie decided, looking at us. "If I can get her her powers, she can help defeat the villains."

"Fine, but hurry please." I told him. Kaz nodded.

"Oh, and if you ever throw me a party, fewer villains and more ranch dressing." He suggested. Ollie rolled his eyes, then raced towards Skylar. I looked at Kaz.

"Jaime can't fight them on her own," I told him. He sighed.

"Yeah, I know." He agreed. He smirked. "Wanna do something reckless?"

I smiled back. "Let's do this."

Without giving ourselves to rethink our decision, we each grabbed one of the downed guards' weapons, and took aim at Megahertz.

 **Skylar's POV**

"Oliver, what's going on?" I demanded as my friend pulled me into the rec room, away from the fight. He'd just run into the middle of the fight, nearly getting himself killed, grabbed me by the arm and pulled me in here without any sort of explanation, leaving Spark to fight Megahertz and, when he inevitably recovered from the Crusher's attack, Experion on her own. "Why are there so many villains at Mighty Med? And how did Experion get Kaz's phone?"

"No time to explain." Oliver headed for the cupboard. He fiddled with the lock as he spoke. "But I have something for you that might help."

To my shock, he pulled a large cylinder, glowing a hot pink color, out of the cupboard. I could feel myself drawn to it, as if it were calling to me. Power radiated from it. "Your powers."

"My powers?" Of course I had recognized it, but I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. My powers, right here, in front of me. I reached for the cylinder, then pulled my hands away, unreasonably afraid that if I touched them, they'd disappear again. "Oliver…this…this is incredible. How did you…when…"

Oliver smiled kindly. "I promised you the first day I met you that I'd get your powers back." He reminded me. "Happy anniversary."

He held them out to me and I took them from him, examining it in amazement. They were really here. I tore my eyes away from the precious gift, turning to Oliver. "Wow. Oliver, I can't tell you how much this means to me."

He smiled for a second, before it faded away into a horrified expression. Before I could react to it, and before he could say anything, something hot knocked my powers away from me. I spun around and found myself face to face with my greatest enemy – the Annihilator. "Skylar Storm." He mused.

"The Annihilator?" I'd spent a year trying to track him down, to no avail, and yet here he was.

"Just to be clear, I did not invite him." Oliver told me.

"Skylar Storm," The Annihilator mused again. Despite his mask, I could feel his eyes on me. "I finally found you, thanks to your little friend here. I always equip my trophies with a tracking device."

I felt Oliver still next to me. "Oops." He muttered regretfully.

I glared at the monstrous villain who had tried to ruin my life a year ago. "For the past year, I have thought of nothing but how I'd get my revenge against you." I announced coldly. "You're going to regret coming here."

I dropped into a roll, trying to reach my powers, but he shot them out of my grasp again. "Stop!" Oliver shouted as the Annihilator advanced on me. "You're going to annihilate her!"

"That's the idea, genius!" The Annihilator snapped, taking a shot at Oliver. He dodged it with ease, hitting the ground and rolling out of harm's way.

 **Dani's POV**

"You check on Geminus, I got this." I called to Kaz as we raced into the fight. He nodded, running to the red-head's side as I looked up at the security bots that Experion had begun to use against us. No was surprised really – it was the same trick he pulled last time, and this time, I was ready.

It took me a few seconds to figure out how the weapon worked – I was never the greatest with high tech anything, but it was a fairly similar model to the kind used in some of my favorite video games, so I got the hang of it pretty quickly. "Spark!" I called. The blonde superhero looked at me. "You get the left one, I'll take right?"

"Do it!" She ordered. She raised her hands and a blast of electricity, yellow as opposed to Megahertz' red, at one of the security bots, while I shot at the other. It took me a few more shots than hers, since my accuracy was shit and my weapon wasn't nearly as powerful as she was, but we managed to destroy the security bots. I turned to congratulate her, but Megahertz took advantage of her distraction and blasted her, knocking her to the ground.

He turned on me next, and I slowly began to back up. "Hey!" Kaz shouted, taking a shot at Megahertz. It bounced off him harmlessly and Megahertz raised an eyebrow at him. "Oops."

Thankfully, the people Skylar had invited to the party were FINALLY starting to show up. Grey Granite, my favorite superhero literally built out of rocks, appeared behind Megahertz and hit him from behind with his stone staff. Megahertz turned to face his opponent, but Grey Granite let himself crumbles back into pebbles, the mass of rocks moving towards Megahertz until he was right in front of the villain. He reformed quickly, and delivered a strong kick to Megahertz' groin.

"Ouch, that's got to hurt." I commented, sneaking back over to Kaz and Alivia.

"She's out cold, but her vitals are strong." He murmured to me. I nodded, watching as the Crusher attacked Experion.

"Guys!" Alan burst through the destroyed entrance to Mighty Med and slipped over to us, trying to stay unnoticed by the supervillains. "There's a supervillain coming to destroy my Uncle Horace."

"Big, red, and ugly? Yeah, we met him." I commented dryly, wincing as Experion managed to knock Owl Girl, having now joined the fight, off her feathered feet.

"What's going on?" Alan demanded, looking at the fight in confusion.

"We're under attack." Kaz explained.

"Turns out, Catastrophe wasn't the only guy who decided that today would be a good day to get revenge. Megahertz and Experion broke out of Mighty Max and they're really pissed that we put them in there." I elaborated. Suddenly, Ollie stepped out of the hall near us. "Hey, how's the thing with Skylar going?"

"She's fighting the Annihilator." He told us, voice full of dread. "And she's not winning. How are things going out here?"

"AHH!" Jaime screamed as she was violently tossed across the room.

"How do you think?" Kaz commented sarcastically.

"They can't win. The villains are too powerful, and there's too many of them, and not enough of us." I worried. "We need to do something."

"We have to disable their powers, but how?" Kaz demanded.

"Hold on." Ollie stopped him. "In the very first issue of the league of heroes, the star of Galtrax burst into a supernova, and everyone caught in the path of the positronic pulse lost their powers for a few minutes."

"Interesting. You got any Positronic stars on you, by any chance?" Kaz questioned rhetorically. Oliver smirked.

"I do, actually." He answered. Kaz and I stared at him, and he sighed. "Seriously, don't you guys ever listen to Horace? There's one in the floor."

"Oh, cool." Maybe we should listen to Horace more often. "But we'll need to supercharge it."

"Right." Ollie nodded, looking at Alan. "Alan, can you open the positronic reactor?"

"What's in it for me?" The younger boy retorted.

"Uh, I don't know. Staying alive!" Ollie snapped as Experion took down Grey Granite.

"Oh no." I murmured, watching as Catastrophe dragged Horace into the room by the back of his coat.

"Uncle Horace!" Alan cried, starting to stand up. Every villain and hero in the room stopped, watching Catastrophe and Horace.

"Kneel, Diaz." Catastrophe ordered, releasing him. "Bow down before Catastrophe."

"Never!" Horace spat, glaring up at the super villain. Catastrophe grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him down onto the ground. He tried to get back up, but Catastrophe hit him in the back of the head, sending him back onto the ground once more. Alan moved to go help his uncle, but I grabbed him by the back of his sweater vest, stopping him. If he tried to do anything, he would just get himself killed, and though Alan was hardly my favorite person in the world, I wasn't about to let that happen.

"Alan, if I don't make it…just remember that I love…" Horace began. Alan looked at him eagerly. "I love…bridges."

Then, Horace passed out, presumably from the heavy blow Catastrophe had delivered.

"If we're going to do something, we need to do it now." Kaz looked at me and my brother.

"We need to make that supernova." Ollie looked at Alan. "Open the reactor."

Alan walked over to a nearby wall and put his hand on it. A holographic hand scanner appeared underneath, then a keypad appeared next to him. He quickly pressed four digits, then nodded to us as the holographic pad disappeared. A hole in the floor began to open up, a menacing glow shooting from it.

I glanced at the boys. "One of these days, I'm gonna get killed doing crap like this."

"What are you talking about?" Ollie questioned. I smirked.

"Follow my lead, boys." I replied before running into the middle of the room, just behind the hole to the reactor, then smirked at Megahertz. "Hey Leslie, remember me?" I called teasingly. Megahertz glared furiously at me, hating how I brought up his real name. I gulped nervously, watching as a large ball of red electricity began to form in his hands. "Boys?" Megahertz threw the ball of electricity. I leapt out of the way. "Now!"

Kaz held up a metal tray at the perfect moment. The ball of electricity hit it and bounced off, through the hole and into the positronic reactor. Blue sparks began to swirl around the room, almost like fast-moving fireflies, just as the power went out. Seconds later, the back-up generators kicked in, bathing the room in a red glow.

"My powers aren't working!" Megahertz exclaimed furiously as Kaz helped me up. The black-haired boy laughed.

"It's the positronic reactor. It temporarily disabled everyone's powers." He replied proudly. The other heroes in the room took advantage of this, The Crusher and Jaime dragging Experion out of the room forcefully, while Grey Granite manhandled Megahertz towards the door.

"Alan, we only have a few minutes. You have to get the dyad from Catastrophe." Ollie told the boy.

"Why me?" Alan protested.

"Fine, I'll do it." I sighed. Now that Catastrophe was powerless, he wasn't nearly as scary.

"No way!" Alan pushed me out of the way. "I'm not going to let you get all the credit. I'll do it myself."

"Fine, whatever." I shrugged, walking back to Kaz and Ollie.

"We should go help Skylar before the Annihilator gets his powers back." Ollie told me.

"You guys go. Alan might need some back up, and there are injured superheroes here who need help." I reasoned. They both nodded and rushed off to help our friend, while I stayed back. I walked slowly over to Alivia, keeping my eyes on Catastrophe. Powers or not, he was still an experience villain. If it looked for even a moment that he was going to seriously hurt Alan, Horace, or anyone else, all I'd have to do is pull the trigger on the guard's weapon that I still had in my possession.

Catastrophe quickly dealt with the guard who'd tried to take him away to Mighty Max, knocking the man unconscious and spinning around to deal one final blow to Horace. I raised the weapon, but Alan stopped us both.

"Leave him alone!" He shouted.

"Or what? You're just a little boy in a sweater." Catastrophe mocked him.

"Well, that was a mistake." Alivia mumbled, slowly pushing herself onto her elbows. Alan's face twisted in rage.

"It's a sweater vest!" He shouted before charging at Catastrophe. He tackled the villain to the ground before he could react, and swiped the dyad from his neck. Before Catastrophe could steal it back, Alan pulled the two halves apart, and Catastrophe disappeared in a flash of blind light. When the light died away, what was left in his place were…

"Wallace and Clyde?" I questioned, shocked and confused, as the two owners of the Domain slowly climbed to their feet. "Seriously?"

"Your tricked me!" Alan accused them, glaring at them with a hurt expression.

"It wasn't a trick, it was a test." Clyde insisted. "You just proved that you're the rightful heir to the dyad."

"Okay, maybe I hit my head a little harder than I thought." Alivia muttered. "Do you see Wallace and Clyde?"

"I am?" Alan looked at them, skeptical.

"Yes." Clyde nodded eagerly. "Use the dyad on yourself, and with our help, you could become the most powerful being in the universe."

"And maybe to thank us, you could give us a continent to rule." Wallace suggested. "But not Australia."

"Yeah, is it a country or a continent?" Clyde questioned. The two began to bicker as to whether or not Australia was a continent or a country, while Alan deeply considered their offer.

"Alan!" I called to him. He looked at me, a torn look in his eyes. I shook my head at him gently. "No. Don't do this."

"Alan, destroy the dyad." In all the commotion, no one noticed that Horace had regained consciousness. "Throw it in the reactor."

"Shut it!" Wallace and Clyde snapped at us. I flinched, my finger bouncing on the trigger, but I didn't dare press it. While my aim wasn't bad, I couldn't be sure that I wouldn't hit Alan or Horace. "Alan, with this dyad, you'll be feared by men, loved by women!"

"Ignored by cats." Wallace added. "Because you know how cats are."

"Alan, don't do this." Alivia stumbled to her feet, grabbing my arm for support. "You're not that kind of person."

"Ignore her. Do it, Alan." Clyde encouraged him. "Claim your destiny."

For a moment, I thought Alan was going to fall for it, that he was going to do what they asked. Then, he shrugged. "Nah, seems like too much work." And he dropped the two halves of the dyad into the reactor.

 **Skylar's POV**

"Skylar Storm! You can't hide from me!" The Annihilator called. The emergency lights were dimmed, barely allowing light into the room, so he couldn't see me very well.

"I'm right behind you." I called. He spun around, and faced the training simulator. I could see my reflection gleaming in his visor. He approached just as Oliver and Kaz burst in.

"No!" Oliver shouted, but the Annihilator swung his knife anyway, the blade cutting through the waist of my holographic duplicate.

"What?" He snarled in shock. I leapt out of my hiding place in the shadows, cartwheeling my way to him until I was close enough to kick him in the back. I pushed him forwards with my kick, sending him spiraling into the floor of the training simulator. As he started to get back up, I hit a button on the simulator controls, activating the force field that had once kept Kaz and I from being killed by an out of control Brain Matter.

"Finally." I grinned as the Annihilator slammed his fists into the force field wall, unable to escape. I turned to Kaz and Oliver, still smiling. "That guy was a huge pain in the neck. Literally – he kicked me in the neck, like, five times."

"I'm so glad you're okay." Oliver told me, a relieved look on his face. I smiled at him gently.

"Oliver, You got my powers back, and you tried to defend me from the Annihilator. You're incredible." I told him sincerely. "I don't know how to repay you."

I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, much to his surprise. He turned to Kaz. "Yes, cheek. Exactly what I risked my life for."

"And thank you too, Kaz." I added, making sure not forget him. I knew how unappreciated he'd felt lately, and it would be mean to exclude him.

"No problem." He assured me, just as Dani's head poked in.

"Hey, Catastrophe's dealt with, and I've got nurses looking over Horace and Gem, but I'm pretty sure they're going to be fine." She told us, walking in. "Everything cool in here?"

"Yeah, the Annihilator's locked up good until we can get him to Mighty Max." I replied. She smiled.

"Good. Nice work, Skylar." She told me. She looked at Kaz and Oliver. "Listen, Ollie, about that supernova idea…"

"Nice work, man." Kaz finished for her. She nodded in agreement.

"Thanks." Oliver nodded. "And nice work getting Megahertz to hurt the ball of electricity into the reactor."

"And we could have worked that out." Dani added, smiling at them.

"That's why we're best friends." Kaz agreed. Dani opened her arms, always the first one to ask for a hug, and they all pulled each other close. I watched their little group hug for a moment, feeling a little left out. Kaz sighed after a moment and removed the arm he had around Oliver's back and held it out to me. "Bring it in."

I smiled brightly, and squeezed in between them, feeling like a part of the group.

 **Dani's POV**

When we walked back into the ER, nurses were busy at work, helping out the heroes who'd been caught in the fight. Alivia and Horace had both gotten the worst of it – though they were both upright and conscious. The former was getting quite a bit of attention from her girlfriend, Jaime having refused any treatment until Alivia had been checked out. Meanwhile, Horace was in a hospital bed near the back, watching all the nurses work.

"Horace, are you okay?" Kaz questioned, running up to him. Alan followed right behind us, a slightly guilty look on his face. I suspected that he had felt bad about what had happened with Catastrophe – judging by their conversation, I figured that they'd tricked Alan into telling them how to get in here.

"Not really. This ranch dressing and ginger ale is terrible." He wrinkled his nose in disgust. Skylar shrugged helplessly, although a little disappointed that he didn't like her new drink. He turned to Alan. "Alan, you saved my life. Thank you." He smiled at his nephew for a moment, before frowning in confusion. "But why would you take my half of the dyad?"

"They said you betrayed me!" Alan pointed accusingly at Wallace and Clyde, who were being handcuffed by a pair of guards. "They said the dyad would make me a superhero! But they used it to make themselves a supervillain."

"Wallace and Clyde?" Ollie and Kaz finally noticed their presence, having been too concerned about Horace to notice them earlier. "They're Catastrophe."

"Are you really that surprised? Ollie and I have known they were evil for ages." I commented. Kaz looked at us, surprised.

"How?" He questioned.

"They never gave back correct change." Ollie reasoned.

"How would you know?" Clyde spat.

"You never bought anything!" Wallace added as the guards dragged them from the room.

"Alan," Horace said, bringing his nephew's attention back to him, "I would never betray you. And just so you know, you don't need the dyad of Nebulan to be super powerful; you already are."

"Thanks." Alan gave his uncle a hug, smiling brightly. Horace hugged him back.

"Oh, and happy birthday!" He added as Alan pulled away. "I made you something. You're really gonna love it."

"It's not another model of a bridge made of other models of bridges, is it?" Alan asked hopefully, probably sick of getting the same kind of gift year after year. Horace's smile faded.

"Never mind." He replied.

"Speaking of presents…" Ollie stepped away from the hospital bed, cradling the cylinder with Skylar's powers in it in his arms. He turned to the superhero. "You still haven't opened your yet."

"That's, uh, from all of us." Kaz interjected before Ollie could reply.

"I can't believe it." Skylar smiled, a look of awe on her face as she took the cylinder from him. There were tears in the corners of her eyes. "I'm finally going to get my powers back."

"Well, go on." Alivia encouraged, walking over to us, Jaime's armed looped through hers. "Open it."

Skylar looked down at the cylinder for a long moment, savoring it, then broke the seal and removed the cap. The light inside flew out in balls of smoke, the pink fumes circling her. They began to land on her chest and arms, dissolving into a faint glow whenever they landed. When all the smoke was gone, along with the fading lights from when they touched her, Skylar's body flew into the air. Skylar stared down at us, beyond words.

"Oh my god." Alivia gasped, watching.

"It-It worked!" Skylar's laugh of disbelief echoed her excitement. "I can fly!"

She stretched her arms out, and a hole formed mid-air, a starry expanse visible from the outside. "And I can create space portals again!"

She flew through it, disappearing from our field of view as the hole closed up behind her. It opened up again a second later, and she flew back in, elated. "I just flew to Caldera, and I brought back some good old fashioned diarrhea!"

Everyone else backed up as she pulled candy from her pockets and threw it to us. Everyone except Kaz and I, as we both reached out and caught handfuls of it. "Fine, more diarrhea for us then." Kaz commented, smirking to the others as he tossed a gumdrop into his mouth.

"Amazing. I've never seen such a complete restoration of powers." Horace beamed at Skylar as she landed gently next to us. Meanwhile, a guard was leading the Annihilator into the room. "Skylar, I need to run some tests on you."

"Oka…" Skylar stopped, hesitating for a moment as a weird, blank expression crossed over her face. She shook her head once, then we watched in horror as the pink streak in her hair faded to white, and her expression turned from confused to hateful. "You're not going to be running anything anymore."

She swung one hand backwards, at the guard who was accompanying the Annihilator, and, using her telekinesis, sent him flying through the glass M sign above the entrance. She then reached out and used her laser-hands ability to destroy the handcuffs around the Annihilator's wrists. "Mighty Med belongs to the Annihilator now."

"What?" Ollie demanded, staring at her.

"You tampered with her powers." Jaime realized, looking at the Annihilator in horror.

"But when?" Alivia question.

"During our battle in the hospital." The Annihilator replied. "Now she's evil, and under my command."

"No." I shook my head in disbelief. This couldn't actually be happening. We just won! We were supposed to be celebrating, not getting into more danger!

Horace tried to use his freezing ability on her, but Skylar was too fast, leaping into the air to avoid it, and then punching him hard in the gut. She spun around quickly, shooting blasts of powerful energy at Alivia and Jaime, knocking both girls out already. She then turned on Alan, who ran away screaming in hopes of protecting himself.

Both the Annihilator and Skylar looked at us menacingly as Kaz, Ollie, and I backed away, suddenly very, very afraid. "There's a storm coming." Skylar told us, eyes narrowed. "Skylar Storm."

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Tell me what you guys thought! Please? I LOVE getting reviews, I really do. They really encourage me to keep writing. Anyway, we've reached the end of the season 1, and season 2 will begin very soon. Here's the plan for the next few weeks:**

 **September 29** **th** **: How The Mighty Med Have Fallen**

 **October 5** **th** **: Lair, Lair**

 **October 10** **th** **: Mighty Mole**

 **After that, I promise it will go back to the regular, Monday updates. The only reason I'm doing it this way is because I'm trying to keep on a schedule. Anyway, please remember to review, and I'll see you all next time.**


	19. How The Mighty Med Have Fallen

**Kihonne: Alright guys, who's ready for the new season? I certainly am. I promise that things are going to be a hell of a lot cooler this season than in the first, so if you liked the first half of this story, you're definitely going to LOVE the second half. And it's starting out with How The Mighty Med Have Fallen! It's a real treat, I promise you that. But before we can move onto that, it's time for shoutouts!**

 **Xxx**

 **LabGirl2001: I'm glad you liked it, especially Dani liking the idea of her and Kaz getting some alone time. I really hope you like this chapter just as much, or even more.**

 **FangirlIsh13: Thanks, and I hope you love this chapter!**

 **Algernon: Thanks. Yes, Kani is on its way. I'm looking forward to that big review at the end of the arc. Oh, and about Home Sweet Home. First off, it's not at all too early to ask me questions like that. Since I already know what direction I'm taking with this story, I've already started planning out Elite Force, one chapter at a time. For the Chase, Kaz, and robot plotline, I was thinking of having Dani want to give Oliver a robot girlfriend for his birthday, since by that point, he and Skylar will be the only members of the Elite Force that aren't in a relationship, and since she's hardly a tech guru, she's going to go to Chase for help. As for how Kaz will fit in there, I'm not entirely sure yet, but that's the gist of what I'm thinking right now. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **PiLot – guest: Wow, thank you very much for your kind words. I'm really happy that you enjoy reading about the more mature themes that I'm adding, along with how realistic my characters are. It means a lot. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you've enjoyed the rest of my series. Oh, and check out the schedule at the bottom. I made a little change I think you're going to like ;)**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Kaz: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kaz's POV**

Well, this was bad. And not bad like when I got caught lying to my mom about failing a test, but bad like one of our best friends was trying to kill us. Skylar, now under the control of the Annihilator, approached us, fists clenched and expression cold. "Time to finish these Normos off once and for all." The Annihilator announced.

Skylar stepped forward and raised her right hand, hot pink sparks flowing around it dangerously. I gulped and backed up slightly, even as Dani grabbed my arm. Oliver looked at Skylar, horrified. "Skylar, stop!" He pleaded with her. "Look, I know deep down you don't want to do this! You and I are BFFs. We watch movies together; we help each other with our homework."

"And we listen from the other room and copy your answers." I added. Oliver turned to look at us.

"Are you really that surprised?" Dani questioned, crossing her arms and giving her brother a look.

"Sorry, but now, the Annihilator and I are BEFFs." Skylar told us. "Best Evil Friends Forever."

To prove her point, both she and the Annihilator bumped fists. "Yes, and once we eliminate you three, we'll turn the rest of the superheroes evil and make the world suffer just as it made me suffer!"

"There's no way that plan will ever work!" Dani declared.

"Actually, it would be pretty easy." I commented, shrugging. "If they locate all the superheroes' secret files here, they'd have access to their hideouts, their alter egos, and all their weaknesses."

"Even better than what I had in mind." The Annihilator hummed, to my surprise. "Good plan Kaz. Thanks."

"Kaz!" Dani snapped. I winced, realizing that I'd made a mistake.

"Hey, Kaz? Could you please not help the villains out?" Oliver added, annoyed.

"I don't know what's wrong. Usually, I'm no help at all." I told them apologetically.

"Now, where are the superhero files?" The Annihilator demanded.

"We don't know!" Oliver exclaimed.

"Horace would never tell us anything like that." Dani insisted pleadingly.

"It's all my fault that Skylar's evil now." Of course, Oliver would be piling the blame on top of himself. "I should have guessed the Annihilator would taint her powers. Why didn't I test them first?"

"You shouldn't blame yourself," I sighed.

"We should be blaming you." Dani added, bitterly. "This is all your fault!"

"Dani…" I tried to defend him, but she was annoyed.

"No, Kaz! Every time he gets a crush on a girl, he does stupid shit for their attention without thinking it through." She muttered. "At least when I like a guy, I don't let that relationship affect him."

"And you let it affect me?' I challenged. She didn't answer.

"I wish I could just go back in time and do everything differently." Oliver muttered.

"Like the superhero Rewind." I commented.

"Nuh-uh." He retorted, looking at me like I was an idiot. "Rewind can only travel 5 seconds back in time."

"Uh-huh. In issue 72, Rewind discovered that if his powers were amplified with electrical force, he could travel further back to whatever time he was thinking about." I reminded him.

"Nuh-uh. It was issue 73, doofuses," Dani commented, rolling her green eyes, "and he said-"

"Quiet!" The Annihilator snapped, interrupting her. He looked at Skylar. "Are they always like this?"

"Are you kidding?" She scoffed. "This is nothing."

"Well, shut them up…permanently!" The Annihilator ordered. Skylar nodded silently and created a ball of that scary hot pink energy between her hands, ready to throw it.

"Watch out!" Horace warned, suddenly sitting up. He raised his hands at Skylar, but instead of freezing her, like we assume he was attempting to do, her movements slowed to 1/10th of their usual speed. "My powers are weakened. It didn't freeze her; it only slowed her down."

"Good enough for us!" I commented, chuckling nervously. Horace raised his hands to do the same to the Annihilator, but the villain caught the powers in his hands like it was a ball, and shoved them inside one of the capsules for his cannon.

"Oh, right. He can do that." Horace realized as the Annihilator lunged at him. "Kids, get help!" He didn't have to say that twice; Oliver, Dani, and I were already fleeing the room, hoping that even if the Annihilator came after us, we'd be able to lose him in the maze of hallways around the hospital. We tore through the hallways, not daring to stop and look back in fear of the Annihilator or Skylar finding us. We didn't even slow down until we nearly passed Alan in the hallway, the boy moving on his knees as fast as he could in the same direction as us.

"Alan?" Dani skidded to a stop next to me. "What are you doing?"

"I'm running as fast as I can!" He replied breathlessly, pumping his arms. "Why did I have to morph into a snail?"

"Alan, you're not a snail anymore!" Oliver pointed out. Alan glanced down at himself, surprised, then pushed himself to his feet. "That would explain that trail of slime, though." Oliver added, looking at a wet spot about a foot behind Alan.

"Yeah, slime. That's what that is." Alan agreed nervously, obviously lying, but none of us were going to call him out on it.

"Alan, look, we need to find the escape pod." Dani told him. I looked at her, surprised. I'd totally forgotten that Mighty Med had an escape pod in case of emergency.

"Great idea! It's right over here!" Alan led us over to a wall with a key pad on it. He pressed a few of the buttons, and the walls slid upwards, revealing the escape pod behind it. But when we saw the size of it, our hopes fled.

"It only holds one person." Dani realized.

"How do we decide who goes?" Oliver questioned.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" I suggested. The idea almost seemed fair, except Dani had this inexplicable way of winning the game nine times out of ten.

"Or rock, paper, suckers." Alan alternatively suggested.

"How do you play that?" I'd never even heard of it.

"Like this." He raised his hand and telekinetically lifted a trash can off the ground and flung it towards us. While we all avoided the blow, he slipped into the escape pod. "I win, suckers!" He shouted, his voice slightly muffled by the glass.

"C'mon." Dani pulled on my arm. "If we can't escape, we should go hide." She murmured. Oliver nodded.

"She's right." He agreed. We ran down the hall, heading for the rec room. Maybe it wasn't the best place to hide, but it had to have some tech lying around that could help us out.

"This is insane." Oliver breathed once we were inside. "Ten minutes ago Skylar was kissing me on the cheek and now she's trying to kill us!"

"That's women for you, bro." Dani joked, patting him on the shoulder.

"There has to be something I can do to make her not evil." Oliver continued, ignoring her. "I-I-I just need to think."

"We don't have time." I reminded him. "And besides, thinking is for nerds."

"Wait." Dani smiled at us suddenly, obviously having come up with a plan. "Liv once told me that there's a remote in here that contacts the league of heroes. If we can find it…"

"We can call for help. Good thinking, Dee." Oliver nodded gratefully at her before beginning to search the room. He began to check behind things, while Dani opened up the cupboards, reaching in with her hand to feel for the remote. I, meanwhile, did the obvious thing and flipped over the seat cushions. Whenever a remote went missing in my house, it was always hidden in the cushions. But instead of a remote, I found something even more awesome.

"Yes!" I grinned.

"You found the remote?" Oliver asked hopefully.

"No, a potato chip." I replied happily. I broke it in three, and offered the two extra pieces to them. "Split it?"

"Disgusting." Oliver wrinkled his nose. Dani hesitated.

"What flavor is it?" She questioned. I sniffed it.

"Sour cream and onion." I replied.

"Gimme." They both replied, grabbing their pieces of the chip before resuming their search.

"I found it!" Oliver called after a while, just seconds before I was going to call him. He waved the remote above his head.

"Uh, Ollie? I found three more." Dani commented, pulling three remote controls out of the cupboard.

"And I found nine." I added, dumping my pile of remotes onto the table. They both placed their remotes on top of the pile.

"Which one is it?" Oliver questioned. Dani shrugged.

"Let's try one and see what happens. What's the worse that can happen?" She commented, reaching for one and pressing a button. Suddenly, an alarm started going off.

"The hospital will self-destruct in three…two…" An automated voice announced.

"Turn it off!" I shouted above the alarm as Dani fumbled for the button. She hit it just in time, deactivating the alarm.

"Self-destruct aborted." The automated voice announced. Dani looked at us, eyes wide.

"Why do we even have one of these?" She demanded.

"And why would it only allow three seconds?" Oliver added, equally annoyed, as his sister placed the remote away from the others.

"Let's try this one." I suggested, grabbing a grey remote. I pressed a button on it, and suddenly, the number of remotes we had doubled. We all stared at the pile.

"You have got to be kidding me." Dani muttered.

"Relax. I'll push it again." I told her. "Maybe they'll all disappear."

Instead of disappearing, our pile once again doubled in size. "You probably should have seen that coming." Oliver commented. I nodded in agreement, tossing the remote to the side. This was going to be harder than we thought.

 **Skylar's POV**

I watched impatiently as the Annihilator interrogated Horace, wishing he'd just tell us where the superhero files were. Unfortunately, the man wasn't giving anything up, and neither Alivia nor Jaime were any help to us. They were awake now, handcuffed, preventing any kind of movement or escape. They both glared at me furiously, but even more so at the Annihilator. It was like they blamed him for all of this, as if I wasn't enjoying it. And I really was enjoying being evil. I didn't have to worry about doing the right thing, and I didn't have to care about anyone but me. I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. It was a liberating feeling, honestly, and I was never going to give it up.

"For the last time, where are all the superhero files?" The Annihilator demanded.

"I transferred them all to a quantum chip, which I've hidden, so you-" Horace paused, a concerned look forming on his face as he reached up to tousle his hair.

"What are you doing?" The Annihilator demanded.

"Sorry, I can see my reflection in your helmet." Horace explained as he attempted to fix his hair. "My hair is cuckoo!"

"Stay on topic, Horace!" Alivia called, annoyed.

"I'll never tell you the location of the quantum chip." Horace told us, a steely look in his eyes. "I don't care what you do to me."

"Fine." The Annihilator shrugged. "Then I'll just torture your beloved nephew instead."

"Zachary?" Horace demanded, shocked and horrified. "Why? What has Zachary Diaz ever done to you?"

"Alan! He meant Alan!" I snapped, irritated.

"Oh." Horace shrugged. "Well, these things happen. I supposed a little suffering will build Alan's character. I'll go find him."

He tried to flee, but the Annihilator stopped him. "You're not going anywhere." He reached his hand out, summoning his power cannon to his side. He loaded one of his power capsules into it, looking at Horace.

"I'm going to immobilize you with your power, and when we find Alan, I'll bring him here and torture him in front of you." He declared. He didn't give Horace a chance to make a run for it, instead blasting him with his own power right away. Horace froze, immobilized, and the Annihilator turned to me.

"Find Alan Diaz, and those pesky Normos." He ordered, storming off through one of the halls. I shrugged, not really caring, but headed in the opposite direction.

 **Kaz's POV**

Twenty minutes and forty-seven remotes later, and we had still accomplished absolutely nothing. "Only two left." I sighed as Dani tossed her brother a remote. Oliver pressed a button, but nothing happened.

"This one also does nothing!" He sighed in frustration when nothing happened.

"Well, then this must be the one." Dani pressed a button on the last remote. Thankfully, a holographic image of a woman's head appeared in the training simulator.

" _This is the League of Heroes."_ She declared, much to our relief.

"Hi! Hi, we're calling from Mighty Med!" I told her, a little panic slipping into my voice. "We're under attack from the Annihilator and the fate of the world-"

" _Please listen carefully, as our menu options have changed._ " The head interrupted me. I groaned; of course we would get an automated responder instead of an actual person. " _For English, press one. For Gorgolblarn, press-"_ She then made a bunch of incoherent sounds. She was about to announced the third option, but a blast of pink energy destroyed her head, ending the call. We spun around to see Skylar standing in the doorway, fists glowing with energy.

"Don't bother calling for help. I eliminated the guards and put an energy barrier around the building, so no one is getting in or out." She told us, that cold stare of hers stabbing me in the heart. "Now, all I have to do is destroy the only people left standing in my way."

"Aren't you going to tell us who?" I asked, hoping to buy us time.

"She means us!" Oliver snapped.

"Wait, don't destroy us!" Dani exclaimed, hands up.

"Yeah!" I agreed, trying to think of a reason for Skylar to keep us alive. "We have a ton of valuable information about superheroes, and you could slowly torture us over a long period of time to get us to talk!"

Skylar looked at me, surprised. "Good plan Kaz; that was even better than what I had in mind. Thanks!"

"What is wrong with you?" Oliver demanded.

"I was trying to buy us some time!" I explained. "But you have to admit, I am on fire with ideas today."

Before any of us could react, Skylar reached forward, placing her index finger on each of our foreheads, starting with Oliver, then Dani, and finally me. I'm not entirely sure what she did to us, but I saw Dani fall just before my own world went black.

 **Xxx**

"Kaz, wake up!" I opened my eyes at the sound of Oliver's voice, confused as to what I was doing on the ground. I blinked, looking around to see dark grey walls, a poster of Solar Flare, and, just past our window, rows and rows of cells. Oliver was standing above me, hands on his hips, while Dani was sitting up on a slab-like bed to my left. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, her hair a mess.

"Morning, sleepy." I teased her, getting up. She dropped her hands, looked at me pointedly, then looked around.

"Where are we?" She asked, biting back a yawn.

"Mighty Max Prison." Oliver announced, tapping the invisible force field that kept us locked inside. It glowed gold at his touch, but didn't allow his hand through.

"It's better than school." I commented, trying to lift their spirits. Oliver gave me an annoyed look.

"This is not good, okay?" He retorted, pacing a bit. "There is no bathroom and I had a bran muffin this morning. Things are about to get real up in here?"

"Relax." I told him. "You're forgetting about Alan. He used the escape pod. He's probably out contacting a bunch of superheroes who can figure out a way to break in and save us."

"Or he immediately got captured by Skylar." Dani added dully, nodding just outside the cell. I turned to see Skylar standing outside, pulling Alan along by the back of his sweater vest. She threw him inside without breaking a sweat.

"Yeah, that's probably more likely." I agreed.

"Alan, what happened with the escape pod?" Oliver demanded, surprised to see him.

"Well, I got in, sat down, and then I fell asleep." The black-haired boy admitted sheepishly. When he saw the looks on our faces, he rushed to defend himself. "Those seats are SO comfortable. I mean, talk about escape; escape for your worries!"

"Then what happened?" Dani questioned.

"And then Skylar woke me up and attacked me." He finished, giving Skylar an annoyed look.

"What a scaredy-cat." She accused. She glanced at us. "I'm not name calling; he got scared and shape-shifted into a cat."

She walked away, head held high, as Alan looked around our tiny cell. "This isn't good." He told us, worried. "I just had a bowl of cream, and there's no little box. Things are about to get real up in here."

 **Skylar's POV**

"I found Alan. What do you want me to do with him?" I questioned, on the phone with the Annihilator. "I don't think torturing him is going to do all that much, though."

" _Why not?"_ The Annihilator demanded.

"There's got to be easier ways to get Horace to talk. Alan's our best bet, but why play our best card first?" I reasoned. "Why not keep him for when we really need something from Horace."

" _Then how do you expect me to get the information out of him? We both knowing torturing Diaz himself won't do anything."_ The Annihilator questioned.

"You got Spark and Geminus still tied up, right? Horace has a soft spot for kids; you figure it out." I told him. He sighed.

" _Fine, but lock Alan up. We might need him at a later time."_ I smiled.

"He's in Mighty Max with Kaz, Oliver, and Dani. He's not going anywhere." I replied.

"Good." With that, the Annihilator hung up the phone. I raised my hand and created a space portal to Mighty Med, not wanting to miss the show. I stepped out of my portal and into the ER just as the Annihilator stormed in from the other room.

"Since Alan isn't here, I'll just have to torture these two instead." He announced, walking towards Alivia and Jaime. They both stared up at him, fear barely hidden in their eyes.

"Try it, and you're dead." Jaime threatened hatefully, her eyes glint yellow as her powers swirling within her. Not that she could even use them though – we'd been careful to use anti-power handcuffs on both girls. Now, they were as pathetic and weak as any Normo teenage girl.

"Feel free to speak up at any time." The Annihilator released Horace from his earlier blow, allowing the doctor to move freely once more. "Where's the quantum chip?"

"I'll never tell you." Horace retorted. The Annihilator reached forward and grabbed Jaime by the front of her shirt, roughly hauling her to her feet. "Wait!" Horace stopped him. "Is that someone over your shoulder you should turn around and look at?"

To my genuine surprise, the Annihilator fell for the trick, looking over his shoulder to check if someone had entered the room. I moved closer to Alivia – I figured Horace had pulled that stunt to try and get Jaime away from the Annihilator, so grabbing the red-head would make things even. But instead, Horace swiped a white device off the floor, grinning. "Aha!" He laughed as the Annihilator turned back around. "It was a trick! A ruse! A gambit! A ploy!" We all looked at him. "Sorry, I'm halfway through this thesaurus I'm reading, studying, analyzing, perusing."

The Annihilator wasn't amused, nor was he bothered by the device in Horace's hand. "If you fire that weapon at me, I'll just absorb the power." He reminded the doctor. Horace's smile widened.

"Oh, it's not a weapon." He replied smugly. "It's a linguistics scrambler, and I won't be firing it at you!"

He turned the device around in his hands, and, before I could stop him, fired it at himself. He dropped it to the ground, a smug smirk on his face.

"What did you do?" The Annihilator demanded, throwing Jaime to the ground. She landed on her butt, hard, glaring up at him. Horace smiled and opened his mouth to reply, but what came out of his mouth was pure gibberish.

"Ha!" Alivia laughed gleefully, looking at us as if they'd just won. "Good luck getting anything out of him now!"

"Shut up!" I snapped, letting my powers surround my fist with energy. She didn't reply, but continued to smile.

 **Kaz's POV**

Alan and I stood in front of the force field, preparing ourselves. "Now, remember what I told you."

"It's not going to work, Kaz." I heard Dani sigh from her place on the slab.

"Shush, oh ye of little faith." I called back over my shoulder, determined. I looked back at Alan. "We can do this. Just concentrate. You ready?"

He nodded and at the same time, we began to tap our fingers against the force field, a rhythm of piano-like sounds playing out the tune of Chopsticks.

"Would you stop?" Oliver demanded after a moment. "That sounds terrible. It's completely out of tune."

We both stopped, a little disappointed. "More importantly," Oliver continued, "We have to stop the Annihilator from getting the superhero information."

"Yeah? How?" Dani challenged. She lifted her hands to gesture at the whole cell. "We're trapped. Not to mention, Skylar placed an energy barrier around the entire hospital, making it impossible for any superheroes to get in."

"There's got to be a way to break the barrier." I reasoned, sitting down next to her. She looked at me.

"The only thing that can do that is the Crystal of Kreln, which was lost in the battle of Kreln, during the Kreln rebellion in Kreln during the year 2165 BK, before Kreln." She argued.

"The crystal of…what's it called again?" Alan questioned. For a moment, Dani looked like she wanted to rip his head off, so I quickly intervened.

"Kreln." I supplied, putting my hand on hers to prevent her from attacking. She looked at me, and I could see the frustration in her eyes. Usually she was the optimistic one, but I guess that she was just out of ideas right now. "Dude, Dani just said it like five times!"

"Right. I've seen it." Alan told us. We all looked at him. "It's in the Domain."

"No, Alan, that's just a toy." I told him.

"Oh." He sighed, disheartened. But Oliver looked at him thoughtfully.

"What if it's not a toy?" He asked suddenly, looking at all of us. "I mean, Wallace and Clyde DID have half of the real Dyad of Nebulan. Maybe they have the real crystal of Kreln."

"They did say that they have a lot of real devices in the store." Alan offered. "But I just thought they were trying to overcharge me."

"It better be real." I commented. "Because it's the only chance we have."

"Right." Oliver nodded. "Now we have to contact a superhero who can get the crystal and then storm Mighty Med."

We all pulled out our phones, going through the contacts. Unfortunately for me, Experion must have wiped my phone completely when he'd stolen it, because I didn't even have my mom's number in mine.

"I just have Geminus, Spark, and Spotlight. Gem and Spark are the Annihilator's prisoners, and as good a superhero as he is, Spotlight can't handle this kind of thing." Dani said. I looked at her, confused.

"Why do you have Spotlight's number?" I questioned. She shrugged.

"He asked me out." She replied. I raised my eyebrows at that. She'd never told me that. "What? I didn't say yes, or anything. Besides, what do you care?"

"I-I don't." I lied before looking at Oliver. "Who do you have?" I asked quickly, changing the subject.

"I have Gem, Spark, Skylar…and Titanio!" He grinned. "I can call his alter ego, Henry Tidwell."

He began to dial the number, then paused, his smile falling. "I don't have reception."

"Neither do I." Dani stood up on the slab, holding her phone as high as she could, a scowl on her face. "We're too far below ground. We're never going to get out of here."

Oliver sighed and went to lean against the Solar Flare poster, disappointed. But the moment he put his weight on the poster, he fell through, tumbling into a large tunnel. "Whoa!"

He climbed out of it, surprised. 'Someone must have tunneled out of here."

"Thank you, random supervillain." I grinned. I looked at Dani. "You ready to get out of here?"

 **Skylar's POV**

It had almost been an hour since Horace had used the linguistics scrambler on himself, and we still couldn't understand a thing he was saying. Though, if I had to guess, many of his incoherent shouts translated vaguely to 'I love bridges!'.

"This is taking forever." I complained, impatient. There was no point in even torturing Alivia or Jaime if Horace couldn't physically answer us.

Horace continued to babble at us, but after a moment, I realized his babbling had turned into actual words. "…never understand a single word I say until the effect wears…Never mind."

"Finally." The Annihilator sighed. He grabbed Alivia by the arm, pulling her to her feet. "Now, where were we?"

"Fine, I'll do it!" Horace exclaimed before the Annihilator could really hurt her. "I'll take you to the quantum chip!"

"What? No! Horace, don't!" Alivia protested, even as the Annihilator threw her back down to the ground next to Jaime.

"I can't, in good conscious, let him torture you, Geminus. Your father would have my head." Horace told her, before walking slowly to one of the many pictures of bridges he had hanging up on the wall. He removed it, revealing a safe behind it. He went to open it, then looked back at us. "No looking!" He scolded.

The Annihilator looked away, but I only pretended to, watching him input the code. 2-7-4-3-4-3-7. I shook my head, almost amused. I should have guessed. He opened the safe, but instead of a chip inside, there was a pill. Before I could stop him, he popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it, still not facing us.

"What was in that pill?" The Annihilator demanded, seeing the same thing as me. "Tell us!"

Horace slowly turned around to reveal that his mouth was gone, as if it had simply been erased. I groaned in frustration. This was going to take us all freaking day.

 **Kaz's POV**

"He's not coming." Dani sighed, her voice coming from just behind me. The tunnel was tiny and dark, making it impossible to see, but even I could tell that Oliver was still refusing to enter the tunnel.

"Oliver, get in the tunnel!" I shouted, frustrated.

"No way!" He retorted.

"Why won't he come?" Alan asked, confused.

"He's got claustrophobia." Dani explained.

"It started with our 7 months in the womb." Oliver added, still standing in the cell.

"Seven months?" Alan echoed.

"We really wanted to get out of there." Dani explained.

"Oliver!" I hollered loudly. "Get in here and stop talking about your mother's womb! It's weird how often I have to say that."

Dani sighed loudly. "Ollie, just close your eyes. It won't be so bad."

"Fine." I heard him sigh. "We'll probably all be killed anyway."

"Drama queen." Dani muttered as her brother climbed in the tunnel behind her.

"Stop being such a Chicken Little." Alan scolded, before beginning to mock him. "Oh, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! AH!"

Suddenly, the tunnel opened up under us and we fell out, one at a time. We landed hard on the bottom of another cell, the air rushing out of my lungs when Dani landed right on top of me. "You're heavy." I groaned.

"Rude." She muttered, getting to her feet, and offering me her hand. I accepted it and climbed to my feet. I went to look around, then leapt back when I realized who else was in the cell.

"Oh, crap." I muttered.

"Hey, Megahertz. How's it going?" Dani laughed nervously, stepping behind me. We all looked at him, terrified. Of all the cells we had to land in, this one had to be the worst.

"Hey, it's not actually that bad." Oliver, who had yet to reach the hole, commented. "Good idea about closing my-AH!"

Oliver fell through right next to us, just after we'd all moved out of the way. He stumbled back to his feet and turned around, only to see Megahertz standing there with that deadly look on his face. "Oh no." My best friend groaned.

"Ollie, I believe you've met Megahertz." Dani laughed breathlessly.

"Megahertz, buddy…" She wasn't the only nervous one. Oliver began to babble, trying to buy us some time to think of a plan. "I love what you've done with your cell." He tried to back away some more, but hit the force field. "Ah, and your force field is perfectly in tune."

"This isn't my cell." Megahertz growled. "This is the Chamber of Certain Destruction."

"Catchy name." Dani commented, hints of sarcasm in her tone. I looked around, hoping to see a door or something (not that I really expected to see one), but instead found a couple of action figures. When I picked them up to take a closer look, I realized that they were action figures of Blood Chef and Black Falcon, two of the supervillain world's greatest villain.

"But, hey, at least they let you bring some toys to entertain yourself." I offered, trying to lift Megahertz's feelings so he wouldn't kill us or anything.

"Those aren't toys!" The villain snapped. "The punishment for repeat offenders is to be turned into an action figure and sold as a limited edition collectible."

I looked down at the action figures in my hands. "So, that's the real Blood Chef and Black Falcon?" Oliver questioned.

"Yup." Megahertz agreed.

"Cool!" I grinned, turning to Dani and Alan. "Check it out. They're kissing." I brought the action figures' heads together, making kissing noises with my mouth. Alan laughed, but Dani just shook her head. Huh, I thought she'd find that funny. Oh well.

Suddenly, a loud alarm went off, the lights inside the cell changed from white to red, and a distinct burning smell filled the room. "Ooh, is somebody making microwave popcorn?" Alan inquired, sniffing the air.

"Yeah," Dani nodded. "And we're the popcorn."

"Don't worry, it'll be over quickly." Megahertz reassured us. "If you consider four minutes of complete agony quickly."

"We need to get out of here. Now." Dani stated the obvious, looking around the room.

"I can't believe we're going to be melted into action figures." Oliver muttered. I looked at him.

"Man, I hope the kid that buys us doesn't make us kiss." I commented. He nodded in agreement, a slightly disgusted look on his face. Dani, meanwhile, was desperately trying to think of a way out of this.

"Can't you use your electricity to blast out of the force field?" She demanded, turning to Megahertz. To her great disappointment, he shook his head.

The chamber neutralizes the powers of the prisoner they put inside." He explained. "I'm as weak as you are, if you ignore my incredible muscles."

"Dani, that was never going to work, anyway. All the cells in Mighty Max block the powers of their prisoners." Oliver sighed. She turned to glare at him.

"Hey! You're supposed to be the smart one, and I don't see you coming up with any ideas!" She snapped irritably. Suddenly, we heard the crackling of a PA system.

" _Commence meltdown process."_ It announced. Alan shrieked in terror and his hands and feet suddenly turned into hooves, a horse's tail sprouting from his behind. He looked at them in horror.

"I hate this power!" He cried in frustration.

"Wait, no!" Oliver grinned suddenly. "Of course! The cell is only set to neutralize Megahertz's powers. That's why Alan's still work."

"So?" I looked at him, wondering where he was going with this.

"Alan, if you can transform into a mouse, you can fit through the food slow and get us out of here." He told the black-haired boy. Alan hesitated, then shook his head.

"But I haven't mastered my power yet! I never know what animal I'm going to turn into." He reminded us, disheartened, as his tail flicked upwards and hit me in the face.

"Watch it!" I snapped, pushing him away from me.

" _Thirty seconds until meltdown."_ The automated voice announced.

"Alan, you can do it." Oliver encouraged him. "You just have to concentrate. Think small, like…"

"Like the African pygmy mouse, the world's smallest rodent. So small that it hydrates itself by licking the dew off of tiny pebbles." We all looked at her. "Yeah, that's right. I know things."

"You watch way too much Animal Planet." Oliver muttered. Dani smirked.

"Don't care!" She exclaimed before looking at Alan. "But seriously, you can do this."

Alan nodded, took a deep breath, and began to concentrate. But his concentrating attempt was taking too long for Megahertz. "Oh, come on already!" He shouted, slamming his fist into the side of the cell. The sound startled Alan, and he began to morph. Before I knew what was happening, something hard and blue hit me from behind and threw me out of the cell. I landed on the ground next to Dani, Oliver, and Megahertz. I turned around to ask what had just happened and froze, my eyes widening when I saw Alan.

Instead of turning into a tiny mouse like Oliver and Dani had suggested, Alan had gone in a totally different direction, transforming into a massive, blue whale.

"Incredible." Dani smiled, eyes lit up in amazement. "He turned into a blue whale. You know, its tail is actually as wide as a soccer net, and-"

"Oh, shut your blow hole, Dani!" Megahertz snapped. Alan chose that moment to spray water at the villain. "You too, Moby Dick!"

"Thanks Alan." Dani patted the whale's side, smiling gratefully at the shapeshifter.

 **Skylar's POV**

"Now what?" The Annihilator questioned impatiently. "Without a mouth, he can't tell us where to find the quantum chip."

"Also, he looks really, really weird." I added. Even though they were clearly angry with me, both Jaime and Alivia nodded in agreement, while Horace looked offended. "I suppose we could force him to write down where the quantum chip is."

"Good idea." The Annihilator agreed. He went to check the ER counters for a writing device, but couldn't find any. "You can never a find a pen when you need one."

"Kaz has a habit of stealing pens." I commented, smiling a bit when I saw Horace's face begin to change again, his mouth slowly but surely, reforming. "Besides, I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"Wait a minute." Horace frowned as his mouth completely reappeared, his tongue working its way through the inside of it. "This isn't my mouth. I could never roll my tongue like this before." He rolled his tongue at us to distract us, then threw himself out of the chair, running for a medical cart nearby. Before I could grab him – damn, this guy was fast when he wanted to be – he injected himself with a serum.

"Ha!" He teased us. "I just injected myself with a lying serum. No matter what you ask me, I won't be able to tell you the truth."

I frowned, wondering why he was telling us this since he wasn't supposed to do anything but lie, but when I read what it said on the vial of liquid he injected himself with, I couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" Jaime demanded, glaring at me. I held up the serum for Horace to see.

"You injected yourself with an anti-lying serum." I told him. The tiny word 'Anti' was dwarfed in comparison to the word 'lying', but it was still there.

"Why did they write 'anti' so tiny?" He demanded. "I mean, that's a pretty important detail."

"Commendable effort though, really." Alivia commented. I smirked at the Annihilator.

"Now he can only tell us the truth." I told my new partner.

"This is bad." Horace worried aloud. "Also, I'm wearing a diaper. I'm potty-trained, but I just like them."

 **Kaz's POV**

"Hey, Megahertz, now that your electricity powers are working, do you think you can use them to boost the signal on my cell phone?" Oliver requested when Alan finally transformed back into a human. Megahertz sneered at him.

"What do I look like, a cellular provider?" He retorted. "I'm nowhere near that evil. Besides, why should I help you?"

"Yeah, Oliver." I couldn't understand why he actually thought Megahertz would help. "Because of us, he's been in prisoner twice. I mean, to be honest, I'm surprised he's not trying to electrocute us right now."

"That's even better than what I had in mind." Megahertz hummed pleasantly. "Good idea, Kaz. Thanks."

"Dude!" Dani gave me a look.

"I have an idea, Kaz." Oliver offered, giving me an equally annoyed look. "No more ideas."

"Megahertz, look. You have to help us." Dani turned to the villain. "We just saved your life; that's got to count for something."

Megahertz sighed, but instead of electrocuting us, he touched his index finger to my phone, not just boosting the signal, but charging it completely.

"You tell anyone about this, I'll hunt you down and destroy you!" He threatened. He thought about it for a moment before correcting himself. "Actually, I'll probably do that anyway. But if you tell anyone, I'll make sure it really, really hurts.

"Got it. It never happened." Oliver agreed before dialing a number. "Titanio? It's Oliver, from Mighty Med."

He walked away a bit to take the phone call, while we all stood around, waiting awkwardly.

"God, I hope Liv and Jaime are alright." Dani muttered, her bangs falling in front of her eyes. "I haven't seen or heard anything from them since Skylar knocked them out earlier. What if she or the Annihilator…"

"Hey," I gave her a smile and brushed her hair behind her ear so I could actually see her eyes. "It's Spark and Geminus we're talking about. Do you know any tougher girls?" She shook her head. "Exactly. Hell, we might get back to Mighty Med and find that they've already defeated the Annihilator and Skylar without us."

"Yeah, maybe." She didn't sound very optimistic about it, but at least she didn't look as worried as she did before. Oliver walked back over to us, pocketing his cellphone.

"Titanio's going to get the crystal of Kreln from the Domain." He announced.

"Good, now we have to get back to Mighty Med." Dani cleared her throat, setting a look of determination on her face. Oliver nodded.

"Time's running out, and if we don't get those superhero files before Skylar and the Annihilator do, it'll spell disaster." He agreed. Alan looked at him as if he had three heads.

"No one can spell disaster! D-E-Z? D-I-Z? It's impossible!" He protested. "But I do know where the superhero files are. My Uncle Horace transferred them to a quantum chip and I know where he hid it."

"Alright, let's go." I decided. Oliver stopped me, an awkward look on his face.

"Actually Kaz, and I was thinking that Alan, Dani, and I should go get the chip, and you should stay here." He told me.

"Why?" I questioned, confused.

"To, um, hold down the fort." Oliver had never been a good liar, and this lie was even worse than usual. "Because you, my friend, are the best fort-holder-downer I know."

"Ollie!" Dani scolded softly.

"It sounds to me like he's trying to ditch you." Alan told me, trying to be helpful. "And I should know; I've been ditched many, many times."

"You're ditching me?" I looked at my best friend, hurt. Why would he just ditch me like this?

"No, no, no. I'm not ditching you, I'm…" He struggled to find the right word.

"Ditching him." Dani finished for him, crossing her arms. Oliver sighed.

"Kaz, it's just…sometimes, when you've over there, it's like 'yeah', and when you're over here, it's like 'uh-oh'." He explained apologetically.

"Fine. Go." I didn't need him. "If you don't want me to come, I won't, but let's see how well you do without me by your side."

"Kaz…" Oliver looked over his shoulder at the exit. "I'm sorry, but we have to go."

Alan and Oliver walked out, while Dani made it halfway to the door before she stopped. "Kaz, just come along. Who cares what Ollie thinks."

"No, I don't want to." I shook my head. She gave me an exasperated look. "Dani, go!" I exclaimed, gesturing at the door.

"Yeah? Why should I? You aren't." She reminded me.

"Because if you don't, the only person watching Oliver's back will be Alan." I pointed out. She hesitated. "It's okay, Dee. I won't be upset with you."

"I'll see you later, then." She sighed before running out to catch up with Alan and her brother. I sighed, watching the door click shut behind her.

 **Skylar's POV**

After a while, we decided to move our interrogation to the rec room, to make things a little more comfortable for us. Not to mention, we could lock Alivia and Jaime in the training simulator and turn on the noise cancelling wall so we could finally get some peace. They'd been asking Horace random questions for the past hour, trying to distract him from the truth and to annoy us. Now, the two girls paced around the inside of the training simulator, sending us glared every few seconds, while Horace sat in the chair, tied down and refusing to speak to us.

"It's in here!" All of us looked up at the sound of Alan's voice. How had he escaped Mighty Max? He burst into the rec room, both Dani and Oliver hot on his heels. To my surprise, Kaz was nowhere to be seen.

"And so are they." Oliver realized, staring at us.

"Uncle Horace!" Alan exclaimed, noticing his uncle.

"Is that my nephew, Zachary?" Horace asked hopefully, unable to see them since they were standing a few feet behind him.

"No, it's me, Alan." Alan informed him. His face fell.

"Oh." He replied, obviously disappointed. "Hey Alan."

I turned to the twins, annoyed. "You stole the quantum chip, didn't you?" I demanded. Horace hadn't been able to find it earlier, and since we knew he was telling the truth about where it was, they had to be the culprits behind its disappearance.

"No." Dani shook her head. "Not that we'd tell you if we did."

"I know we said we'd never keep secrets from each other, but under the circumstances, I think you get where I'm coming from." Oliver added, taking his sister's side. Huh, I had figured that his crush on me would draw him over to our side by now. I guess I overestimated his feelings for me.

"Where is the quantum chip?" The Annihilator demanded, glaring at Horace.

"I swear; I hid it in this room." He replied instantly. 'Also, I don't wear pajamas to bed. I wear a tuxedo."

Dani sighed. "Anti-lying serum?"

"Yes." Horace admitted regretfully. She nodded, looking just 100% done with this situation. "Which is why I'm announcing that that black remote over there has a locate button that attracts the quantum chip like a magnet. Also, I have a third nipple. Luckily, it's right in top of my second nipple, so no one will ever know."

"Gross." Oliver wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Thank you, Horace." I smiled at him, then swiped the remote off the ground. I found the locate button and pressed it, waiting for the quantum chip to fly out from where ever it was hiding. To my surprise, Oliver and Dani sped at me, not even moving their feet. Oliver got stuck to my side, while Dani found herself stuck back to back with him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm attracted to you." Oliver replied as I tried to push him away, but he just kept coming back. "No, I mean, I'm really attracted to you."

"We get it! You have a crush on her!" Dani snapped, trying to remove herself from her brother's back. "But I'm not attracted to either of you, so what the hell?"

Before any of us could reply, Kaz came speeding in the door, his legs pressed together. He didn't stop until he was stuck to Dani, their two faces practically touching. They looked at each other for a moment, confused, then he smirked charmingly. "Hey girl."

Dani laughed, a surprised, yet amused sound, while Oliver just looked plain confused. "Kaz, I thought I told you to stay in Mighty Max!"

"Yeah, I decided to come here instead because this is how I go places on purpose!" Kaz snapped sarcastically. Dani groaned, tilting her head back in frustration.

"Why am I the one who's always getting caught in the middle of you two?" She muttered. Horace looked at them, a look of realization crossing his face.

"They must have eaten the quantum chip to keep you from getting it." He realized. All three of them craned their necks to look at him.

"We ate a potato chip." Kaz stated.

"I'm guessing you found it in the chair cushion?" Horace assumed. None of them answered, but by the looks on their faces, it was obvious that he was right. "I disguised it to look like a potato chip and put it in there to keep it hidden. I wanted to disguise it as something unimportant."

"But why would you make it taste like sour cream and onion?" Oliver questioned incredulously.

"As opposed to what? Honey mustard?" Horace asked rhetorically. "Only a madman would make a quantum chip taste like honey mustard."

"Only a madman would disguise it as something edible." Dani muttered.

"Well, we broke it into three pieces, so it's useless now." Oliver pointed out. For a moment, I was furious. Great, now what were we going to do? But Horace quickly reassured me, despite himself.

"Not true. Quantum chips are easily put back together." He offered.

"Well, we ate it." Dani pointed out. Kaz nodded.

"There's no way you can get it back." He agreed. I smiled.

"Unless we rip open your stomachs and pull it out before you can digest it." I suggested. Dani, Kaz, and Oliver's eyes all nearly popped out of their heads at the suggestion.

"Hey, uh, Ollie? From now on, can you have a crush on less crazy girls?" She questioned.

 **Kaz's POV**

Skylar and the Annihilator wasted no time in preparing to rip us open. The strapped up down to metal stretchers in the training simulator, while Alan, Alivia, Jaime, and Horace were all restrained using rope and power dampener handcuffs.

"I guess this is it." I sighed, leaning my head back against the stretcher. We'd all given up trying to escape – the straps were too tight, and even if we could get out of them, the Annihilator and Skylar were right there. "Before we go, there's one thing I want to say." I looked past Dani and at Oliver. "This is all your fault!"

"My fault? Are you kidding me?" He scoffed. "You've been helping the villains all day! How can you possibly thing this is my fault?"

"We wouldn't be in this situation if we hadn't discovered Mighty Med, which we never would have done if you hadn't make me read comic books." I accused.

"Oh really? At my fifth birthday party, I wished for a pony." I reminded him. "But you blew out my candles."

Both the twins gave me a strange look. "Dude, that was Dani." "I blew out your candles."

"What? No. It was Oliver." Actually, it probably was Dani, but I was annoyed at Oliver right now, not her.

"No, it was me." Dani nodded. "Remember? I blew them out, you got mad, then I smashed my cake in Ollie's face to get you to laugh."

"I can't tell if they're adorable, or just plain weird." I heard Alivia mutter to Jaime.

"Well…Oliver, you didn't stop her and you could have!" I insisted. "If you had, I wouldn't have been hanging out with you at the comic book store, I would have been out riding my pony, which would have been a horse by now!"

"How can you seriously be mad at me for not stopping my sister from doing something? You never get mad at her!" Oliver exclaimed.

"Well, she's a lot prettier than you." I reasoned. Dani blushed.

"I am?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"God, you two disgust me." Skylar muttered. I turned to glare at her.

"Look, I know you're evil now, but do you have to be mean?" I questioned, glaring.

"You know what?" Oliver interrupted her response. "These are probably our last few moments alive. Could you just be quiet and let me die in peace?"

"Not until I say one last thing." I retorted. They all looked at me, waiting for my final comment. "Oatmeal."

Oliver looked at me like I was an idiot. "What?"

"My pony's name would have been Oatmeal." I explained, annoyed. "Now I'm done."

"We have get the quantum chip out of their stomachs." The Annihilator stated, walking back into the room. He'd only been gone a few minutes to check that security was still as tight as Skylar said it was. I could that there was a little lack of trust between them. "Use your exploding powers to blow them open."

"Exploding them might destroy the chip." Skylar replied, shaking her head. She touched her hair gently. "And it will make a mess. I mean, not everyone here is wearing a helmet."

"Actually, the easiest thing would be to cut us open with the laser dissector on the table over there." I suggested, nodding at the device sitting on the table. I purposely kept my head straight, refusing to meet Dani and Oliver's gazes, knowing how angry they'd be at me for saying that. Skylar looked surprised by the suggestion, then turned to Horace for confirmation.

"Yes, that would get the job done quickly and painlessly." Horace replied, nodding thoughtfully. "Well, painlessly for you two. For the boys and Dani, it's going to be brutal."

Skylar grabbed the device off the table and pointed it at us, even as Alan began to slowly release our friends. "Any last words?" She questioned.

I looked pointedly at Oliver. "Oatmeal."

"Idiots." Dani muttered, shaking her head and closing her eyes. Skylar went to press the trigger.

"Wait." I stopped her. "You're pointing it the wrong way."

Oliver turned to glare at me. "Horace is full of anti-lying serum. What's your excuse?"

I didn't answer him, keeping my eyes on Alan. He'd almost managed to release Alivia by this point. We just needed a few more seconds…Skylar looked at me, not quite believing what I was saying. "Horace, is Kaz telling the truth?"

"Yes, and I shave my armpits." He added the last part. Skylar gave him a weirded-out look, the turned the weapon around in her hand and pulled the trigger. The blast shot out of the end aimed at her, and hit her in the stomach. To her shock, tree roots began to form around her legs and arms; within seconds, they were encased in tiny tree trunks, preventing her from moving.

"Ha!" Alivia shouted, bolting forwards, swiping the weapon off the ground, and shooting the Annihilator with it before he could even react. Jaime and Horace stood up, finally released from the restraints, just as the Annihilator was trapped like Skylar. "Take that, sucker!"

I chuckled at her quip as Jaime, Horace, and Alan began to release us. "It wasn't a laser dissector; it was a forestation ray." I explained to the very confused twins.

"Yes, and my anti-lying serum wore off four minutes ago." Horace added, smirking at Oliver. "I don't shave my armpits; I wax them."

"…Good to know?" Dani looked at him questioningly before turning to me. "Y-You tricked them?"

"Kaz, you're a genius." Oliver told me, shaking his head in utter astonishment. "Look, I'm sorry for saying you always mess things up."

"And I'm sorry for blowing your candles out for you when we were five." Dani added. "Could you ever forgive us?"

"Well…" I pretended to think about it for a while. "I guess."

"Good." Dani smiled brilliantly. She turned to her brother. "FYI, I'm not sorry about smashing the cake in your face. That was hilarious."

"Alright, now the forestation ray only lasts a few minutes." Horace told us, backing up to allow us off the stretchers. "We have to get the quantum chip out of you and hide it."

"But how?" Alan questioned as we walked out of the rec room, leaving Skylar and the Annihilator trapped. "Do you have a vomit ray?"

"No, but I have two-week-old Indian food in my office." He replied. Dani, Oliver, and I exchanged disgusted looks, but acknowledged that it was the only way.

 **Skylar's POV**

Eventually, the Annihilator and I managed to pull ourselves from those damn roots, and we headed into the ER. I should have known that Kaz had been hiding something like that up his sleeve – although he was hardly the sharpest tool in the shed, he always came through for him, Oliver, and Dani when he needed to. I underestimated him once, but not again.

"Where are they?" The Annihilator demanded, noting that the ER was just as we left it – everything pushed to the sides and the room empty.

"Hey, Annihilator." We turned to see Titanio, the billionaire genius superhero with a weaponized, mechanical suit, leaning against the door frame. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size, who's also a handsome, yet frugal billionaire?"

I glared at him, trying to hide my surprise. "How did you break my force field?" I demanded.

"Crystal of Kreln." He replied, waving the yellow, translucent stone prism around in his hand. I rolled my eyes, inwardly cursing myself for not realizing that significant flaw in my plan.

"You were a fool to come here, Titanio." I told him, falling into an all-too familiar fighting stance. "It's two against one."

"Or is it?" Titanio challenged. I tensed, expecting more heroes to walked out of the shadows, but no one appeared. Titanio looked equally confused. "I think that was their cue…" He muttered to himself. His face suddenly cleared. "No, wait! It was 'I beg to differ'. Skylar, can we take this whole thing over again? You say 'you were a fool to come here. It's two against-'"

Annoyed with his ramblings, I shot a blast at his head. He ducked, avoiding it, and looked at me, startled. I guess he didn't quite believe that I'd gone to the dark side. "I beg to differ!" He shouted at the top of his lungs before pulling on his helmet.

Suddenly, Alley Cat dropped from the ceiling, Clone Master walking in besides her. From the main entrance way burst the heroes Spotlight and Blue Tornado. Alivia and Jaime came from the direction we'd just come in, all six heroes ready to fight. We were surrounded, but we wouldn't go down without a fight.

The Annihilator tried to load his weapon, but Blue Tornado came at us first, barreling into the Annihilator in a blur of blue. Then, Spotlight blinded me with his powers. I closed my eyes, hoping to get rid of the pain now stabbing into my brain, but somebody, Jaime I suspect, hit me from behind with a powerful ball of energy, knocking me onto the ground. I heard grunts coming from both the Annihilator and Clone Master, and guessing by the sound of them, they were both getting some pretty good shots in. The sounds turned to metal clangs seconds later, confirming that the Annihilator had now moved on to Titanio.

I got to my feet, eyes still stinging but finally able to see. And just in time too, since Spotlight and Alivia had teamed up together, two duplicates of the red head flanking the older teenage hero as they all charged at me. He came at me first, grabbing me from behind. I elbowed him hard in the ribs and grabbed his arm, twisting it around to force him to face the other direction. While holding me still, I managed to kick one of the Alivias in the gut before spinning around and landing a precise hit to the back of Spotlight's feet. The hero flipped mid-air, groaning when he landed hard on his stomach.

 **Kaz's POV**

In the end, none of us ended up touching the Indian food. Dani had ranted the entire way to his office ("Seriously Horace, isn't it enough that they murdered those defenseless animals so you could have some food, and now you've let it go to waste for the past two weeks?"), only for the three of us to empty our stomachs at the very smell of the old food.

Using gloves and tweezers, Horace carefully pulled the pieces of the quantum chip out of…our messes. Alan watched on in disgust, while Alivia and Jaime left to go help Titanio with the Annihilator and Skylar. The hope was, by time we were finished with the chip, the heroes would have captured the two and we'd be able to start trying to figure out a way to cure Skylar of the Annihilator's influence.

"I hate throwing up." I complained, wrinkling my nose in disgust at the horrible sensation on my tongue. "I have the worst taste in my mouth."

"At least you have your own mouth." Horace muttered, opening a cupboard. "Now, we don't have much time."

"Where are you going to hide the quantum chip?" Oliver questioned.

"The safest place imaginable." Horace replied, pulling a bag of chips out of the cupboard. He opened it up, dropped the now repaired chip into the bag, and rolled it close. "Now, to lock it." He grabbed a bag clip out of the cupboard as well, clipping it onto the end of the bag to 'lock' it.

 **Skylar's POV**

The fight wasn't going our way at all. Between the number of heroes Titanio had brought, and the numerous duplicates Geminus and her father, Clone Master, had created, we were being overwhelmed. They forced us into a corner, our backs almost touching the wall. At this point, we were no longer even throwing out attacks of our own, instead forced to put our complete focus into deflecting their powerful blows.

In a last effort to stay in the fight, I created a force field around myself and the Annihilator, but I knew instantly that it wasn't going to last. "I can't hold them off much longer!" I cried desperately.

"Skylar!" I looked over to see Oliver, Kaz, Dani, Alan, and Horace, all standing off to the side. Oliver looked at me pleadingly. "You're out numbered. You have to give up."

"Never!" The Annihilator answered for both of us. But I hesitated, looking at all the heroes. We were outnumbered eight to one, and with no chance of escape. They would either destroy us or capture us, and if we were captured, then they would surely turn me good again. And I couldn't let that happen. But how to fix this?

"Hey!" Suddenly, Megahertz came waltzing into the room. All the heroes stopped firing on us instantly, eyes focused on him. "How do you get out of here? Seriously, this place is like a maze!"

"Megahertz!" Clone Master shouted. Megahertz turned and froze when he saw all the heroes.

"Whoa!" He raised his hands. "I'm a good guy now. I helped Oliver, Dani, and Kaz break out of Mighty Max." He leaned in closer to me, and added in a hushed voice, "Unless you guys have a brilliant way out of this, then I'm on your side."

 **FLASHBACK**

" _I wish I could just go back in time and do everything differently." Oliver muttered._

" _Like the superhero Rewind." Kaz commented._

" _Nuh-uh." Oliver retorted, looking at him like he was an idiot. "Rewind can only travel 5 seconds back in time."_

" _Uh-huh. In issue 72, Rewind discovered that if his powers were amplified with electrical force, he could travel further back to whatever time he was thinking about." Kaz reminded him._

 **FLASHBACK OVER**

That was it! I had to go back in time! "Megahertz, I do have a brilliant way out of this!" I exclaimed. I opened a hole in my force field and snatched one of the power vials off of the Annihilator's belt. It was the one that read 'Rewind' on the cover. "Zap this canister!"

I threw it in the air, and Megahertz hit it with a ball of electricity. I watched as everyone in the room froze, then started to move backwards, as if I were rewinding a movie. It was fascinating really, and something that would have been a lot cooler if I hadn't had to use to use it because of an emergency. Eventually, the rewind process slowed to a stop, back to the exact moment that I had my powers returned, just before I turned evil.

"Amazing. I've never seen such a complete restoration of powers." Horace beamed at me as a guard lead the Annihilator into the room. "Skylar, I need to run some tests on you."

"Okay," I agreed, "but first, can I have a moment alone with the Annihilator? I have some choice words for him."

"Of course." Horace nodded in understanding. "Would you like to borrow my thesaurus? I recommend villain, knave, and no-good nick."

"I got this." I assured him. He, along with the others filed out of the room. I turned to the Annihilator, smiling. They were all ignorantly clueless!

"You turned back time." The Annihilator hummed. "Very clever."

"Now, they have no idea that I'm evil." I told him, proud of myself for coming up with that idea. "So we can work together in secret to turn all those superheroes into villains."

"Good plan." He told me, sounding pleased.

"We just have to let them lock you up in Mighty Max, so they don't suspect anything." I added.

"I like that part less, but okay." The Annihilator agreed reluctantly. I glanced down the hall, hearing footsteps.

"Oh, and I'm sorry about this." I apologized.

"About what?" He questioned. Once I saw Kaz, Dani, Alivia, Jaime, and Oliver turn the corner, I punched the Annihilator in the stomach. It was a hard punch – I had to make it look good, after all – but I softened it as much as I possibly could.

"And that's for trying to hurt my friends!" I shouted loudly.

"Ooh, nice one." Jaime smirked, watching as the Annihilator struggled to get up, even with the guards' help. I watched silently as they dragged him out, glad that I seemed to be able to fool everyone.

"Welcome back, Skylar Storm." Alivia smiled, offering me her hand. I took it, hugging her back like I knew she expected.

"It's good to be back." I replied instantly. Huh, pretending to be my goodie-goodie self wasn't very difficult. I figured I'd have to force it a bit more to be believable, but as usual, my 'friends' were oblivious to anything being wrong.

"Alright!" Dani clapped her hands together, smiling brightly. "You all know what we need to do, right?"

"What?" Oliver looked at her, confused. She patted his shoulder, a teasing look on her face.

"Oh Ollie. Ollie, Ollie, Ollie." She looked around at all of us. "We managed to beat not one, but four supervillains today, AND it is Alan's birthday AND Skylar got her powers back. Time to celebrate!"

They all exchanged looks. I sighed, glancing at the decorations already up. No way I was getting out of this. "Let's celebrate!"

 **Kaz's POV**

And celebrate we did. Before long, word had spread of the Annihilator's defeat and the return of Skylar's powers, and soon the entire ER was filled with superheroes of all sorts, all there to celebrate Skylar's official return to the superhero world.

It was a total success, music was blasting through the hospital's intercoms, food for both Normos and superheroes was set up on tables, and even Dani's piñata had been used, some of the candy still littering the floor. Jaime and Benny were holding two ends of a limbo rod, with Alivia trying to successfully get under the stick without falling over or hitting it. Skylar was over by the snack table, talking with the Crusher about something. Oliver was hanging with Spotlight and Alleycat, all of them laughing about something they found funny.

I looked around the room, trying to spot the one person I'd been looking for for the past twenty minutes. And then, I found her.

Dani was sitting on top of one of the counters that had been pushed out of the way for the party, chatting animatedly with Solar Flare and Hummingbird. Her ankles were crossed, her legs kicking back and forth as she spoke. She was waving her hands slightly, just like she always did when she was excited, but keeping them controlled enough not to spill the drink that was in her left hand. Her hair was brushed out of the way for once, her green eyes twinkling with excitement as she told her friends a story.

And maybe it was the music, or that sparkle in her eyes, or the leftover adrenaline in my system, but next few minutes of my life could only be defined by three words: Impulsive, bold, and awesome.

"Dani!" I pushed my way through the crowd until I reached. She looked up from her conversation, that brilliant smile of hers broadening.

"Kaz!" She exclaimed. I reached for her hand.

"C'mon." I didn't have to say anything else. She placed her plastic cup down on the counter and let me lead her into the hallway without a second's thought.

"Where are we going?" Dani laughed lightly as she let me pull her into the nearest empty hall. I didn't even hesitate, pushing her into the wall as my lips crashed into hers. She didn't fight the kiss in the slightest, instead moving her lips against mine, her hand finding its way to the back of my neck to pull me closer even as my hands reached the small of her back. It was the perfect kiss really – the intimacy, the sounds of our hearts beating almost in sync and…did she always smell like that? Like the way the world smells right before a storm hit – fresh and sharp with a hint of an electrical charge? I'd never noticed that before, but even more than that, I'd never imagined that her lips could be this soft, nor could I ever guess that they would move this perfectly against mine.

"Wow." Dani breathed as we pulled away, gasping for air. She laughed breathlessly, that smile never leaving her face. "You certainly took your time." And she pulled me in for another kiss before I could even recover from the first.

 **Kihonne: I suspect that a lot of you liked that ending, but what about the rest of it? Was the whole thing good, bad, in-between? Please guys, I LOVE reviews, and not just ones freaking out about Kaz and Dani. What about the rest? Even just a couple of words would boost my spirits. Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few updates:**

 **Lair, Lair – October 4** **th**

 **Mighty Mole – October 9** **th**

 **The Claw Prank Redemption – October 14** **th**

 **Alright, so I guess I'll see you all in a few days!**


	20. Lair, Lair

**Lair, Lair**

 **Kihonne: Alright guys, time for a new chapter. This week's work is Lair, Lair, so I hope you're excited. But first, shoutouts!**

 **Xxx**

 **FangirlIsh13: Lol, I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as you did. If you liked that chapter, I think you're really going to like the rest of the season. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

 **LabGirl2001: I'm glad you enjoyed it, especially the Skylar part. I figured I'd work it from that angle, because she couldn't just be evil, she needed to like being evil, and I needed a reason. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **PiLot guest: I'm glad you loved the chapter so much, and you're very welcome for the birthday gift. I can't believe that Kani had gone up your list of favorite ships so fast, so I'm glad you like them. Anyway, I'm happy that you enjoyed those parts of the chapter, especially the flirting bits. Okay, now to answer your questions. Alivia can split into as many duplicates of herself as she wants, however her powers do have a bit of a drain, so the more times she splits herself, the more tired she's going to be. Hence why she keeps the numbers low, to only two or three of herself. I totally agree with you hating overly-powered characters, and about Skylar having far too many abilities. She's easily the most powerful superhero in the universe, considering she's got almost every single power out there, and her only weakness is coal. It's a little ridiculous, so I do include a weakness for almost all of my powered characters (when I get to The Power of Seven, Kaz and Oliver are going to have a few more glitches with their abilities than the show original portrayed). Now, I'm not going to rewrite Mighty Med VS Lab Rats, simply because then people are going to get confused between the two when it comes time for The Power of Seven, but I will be replacing it with an original chapter that I think people are going to like. I can't say much about it because I don't want to spoil my big surprise, but I think you'll agree that it's a good substitute for the original crossover. As for your last question, Dani will be gaining powers just like Oliver and Kaz, and I do know what kind of powers she's going to have, but I don't want to tell you what they are. See, I'm including a few hints here and there about her abilities, just small little comments that most people won't really care about until after they find out what she'll be able to do, but I'm going to have a little contest at the end of the story to see if anyone can guess her powers. As for Oliver…well, I'm addressing that fairly early in this chapter, so you're right about finding out soon. I'm so glad I've inspired you. Comments like that really make me blush, and if you ever do write/publish a story, I would LOVE to check it out. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Sacredmaiden009: I'm glad you liked it, and happy belated birthday! Hope it was a good one.**

 **Avaoreo1112: Actually, Claw Prank Redemption is a real episode – it's the one where Oliver and Kaz know that Skylar is evil, but she doesn't know that they know. But don't worry – I'm working on an original chapter right now as well. I'm glad that you're happy that Kani has arrived, but as for Oliver's reaction…well, you're just going to have to keep reading. Enjoy the chapter.**

 **Bluejack222: I'm actually not going to do the episode Sparks Fly, since both Kaz and Spark are now in relationships. I will, however, deal with Spark's jealousy sooner or later. Anyway, I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Alright, time for the chapter!**

 **Dani: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns me, Alivia, and anything else that you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Dani's POV**

"I think my costume is awesome." My brother insisted as we headed into Mighty Med. I glanced down at his costume – a Hawaiian shirt and party hat over a normal bear costume – and shrugged, rolling my eyes. It was Halloween once again, and as usual, Ollie's costume was lame. Every year, he would think of something boring, Kaz would get a simple costume to save himself cash, and I would go all out. It was my favorite time of the year, really, but not because of the candy. It was the one day where you could be whatever or whoever you wanted to be, without judgement. "Well, it's better than yours."

"Please!" I exclaimed, fiddling with my gloves. I was wearing a black, strapless dress that ended just past my knees, the ends ripped to give me a scarier look. My black gloves were long – almost reaching my elbows – and fingerless, and I'd traded out my usual converse for a pair of knee-high black combat boots. A pair of small-ish black wings (each about the size of a basketball) were attached tightly to the back of the dress, and my halo, black and fluffy, was crookedly being held just above my head by the transparent headband that had come with the costume. I licked my lips, unused to the taste of the black lipstick that stained them. "My wicked angel look is hot!"

"Well, we'll just ask Liv and Jaime then." Oliver insisted as we walked through the doors. The two girls were sitting at the ER counter, chatting animatedly with each other. I smiled when I saw their costumes, glad that they had also tried for something cool this Halloween. Jaime wore a velvety, purple V-neck dress that, although the back when down to the ground, the front was ripped all the way up past her knees. The sleeves were ripped away as well, the ends hanging far past her hands, but the tears giving her the room to move her hands freely. A matching colored witch's hat sat upon on head, shading her face, and complimenting her short, blonde hair surprising well. Alivia, on the other hand, had gone in a different direction. The red head wore a horizontally striped red, white, and green t-shirt over a blue overall dress that ended just past her thighs. Along with the dress, she wore knee-high red socks, red converse shoes, and blood-red lipstick. She carried a plastic axe loosely in her left hand.

"Witchy, Chucky." I greeted as we walked up. They grinned when they saw us.

"Hey guys." Jaime smiled at us. She nodded at me. "Wicked costume, Dani."

"Thank you." I smiled, curtseying. Alivia frowned at Oliver.

"Where's your costume, Oliver?" She asked. I smirked at his expression.

"I think my point has been proven." I stated, moving to sit down just as Kaz walked in, carrying a book under his arm.

"Hey Liv, Jaime, Oliver…Dee." He smiled at me and I ducked my head, blushing at the memory of what had happened at Skylar's party last night. He cleared his throat, turning to my brother. "Dude, I thought we were going to the Halloween party at school. Why aren't you in costume?"

I laughed a bit as Ollie grew even more annoyed. "I am! Why else would I be dressed like this?' He gestured at his outfit.

"Because it's much nicer than what you usually wear?" Jaime suggested, earning a high-five from Alivia.

"Oliver, what are you even supposed to be?" The red-head asked.

"I'm a party animal." He looked at us as if it should have been obvious. "See? Party?" He pointed at the hat, then at the bear costume underneath. "Animal."

"Yeah, no one's going to get that." Kaz told him. "Unlike my costume."

Ollie's brow furrowed in confusion. "You're not wearing a costume."

"Yes, I am. I'm a nerd." Kaz replied, grinning. "See? I'm holding a book, like a nerd."

"That's insane. No one's even going to notice you're wearing a costume at all." Oliver insisted as Skylar walked in. I frowned, noticing that while she was just in her Skylar Storm costume rather than an actual Halloween costume, her signature pink streak in her hair was now white. Weird. Maybe it was part of her costume?

"Hey guys. Kaz, I like your nerd costume." She complimented. Ollie threw his hands up, giving up. "Oliver, I have no idea what you are."

"So, you must be loving having your powers back." He commented. "If you're looking for a way to thank me…" He tapped his cheek, obviously expecting a kiss. Well, obvious to those of us who were born on Earth. Skylar, on the other hand, didn't seem to get it.

"I was going to kiss you, but okay." She shrugged nonchalantly, tapping Oliver's cheek. Alivia gave my brother a sympathetic look, then looked at Skylar.

"Hey, Skylar, what's up with your hair?" She asked, leaning forward to pull at the white strand gently. "Your streak is usually pink."

"Oh, uh, it's part of my Halloween costume." Skylar explained. "I'm Skylar Storm at 80 years old."

She bent forward and, in her best granny voice, said, "There's a storm coming." She coughed convincingly. "Skylar Storm."

"Well, good." Oliver commented. "Because everyone knows that a telltale sign of a superhero turning evil is when one of their distinctive features turns white."

"I'm not evil. I'm just old." Skylar corrected quickly.

"Evil Skylar would have been a much better costume." Jaime commented. Alivia nodded.

"Yeah, you could have gone all goth, and pretended to try and kill everyone." She agreed. Skylar rolled her eyes.

"Yeah…no." She told us. Kaz cleared his throat.

"Hey, uh, Dani?" I looked up. "Could I talk to you for a second? It's about…the homework thing."\

"Right." I agreed.

"What homework thing?" Ollie questioned, confused as to why Kaz would come to me about a homework thing.

"English. He wants my copy of the book review." I explained.

"And since you never share, I went to the one person I knew would." Kaz added. I nodded.

"I think I left in my locker. C'mon." I led him out of the room and into the change rooms designated for the staff. No one ever really used them, so I figured we'd get some privacy in there.

The moment I closed the door, Kaz pushed me up against it, kissing me. I kissed him back, memories of Skylar's party swirling through my head. "We should have started doing this ages ago." He murmured, breaking off the kiss.

"What? Making out in locker rooms like horny teenagers?" I questioned. He looked at me.

"Is there another definition for us?" He questioned. I laughed lightly, being careful not to be too loud. I wrapped my arms around his neck, relaxing between him and the door.

"We need to talk about this, though." I whispered. He looked at me, a look of dread beginning to form. "Nothing bad, I swear."

"Please! When does a girl say 'we need to talk' and it not mean something bad?" He asked rhetorically. I sighed.

"I'm assuming we're going to keep doing this." I guessed.

"I have no plans of stopping." He replied. I kissed him again, pleased with his answer, and also wondering why the hell we waited as long as we did.

"Good, but what are we going to say? Are we going to tell people?" I breathed, our noses touching. "What are we going to tell Ollie?"

"He is not going to like this." Kaz sighed, saying what we both knew to be true. "He's going to freak out because I'm-"

"His best friend and I'm his sister." I finished for him. "He's going to worry that it'll ruin the friendships we have with him, and then he's going to worry about what happens if it goes wrong."

"IF." Kaz emphasized. "Which it won't." We looked at each other for a while, thinking.

"So, what are we going to tell him?" I asked eventually.

"I vote nothing." Kaz offered. I looked at him.

"You want us to lie to him?" Ollie and I had our issues, sure. Every set of siblings did, but honesty had always been the key factor in our relationship.

"He can't get upset about what he doesn't know about." Kaz reasoned. I hesitated, and he quickly reassured me. "We won't have to lie forever. Just until we've got all of this figured out, and we've been together long enough to reassure him that things won't change."

"Yeah, okay." I nodded. Neither of us liked lying to him, but this was important to us, and sometimes you had to do things you didn't like. "So, for now we keep it our little secret."

"And enjoy it as long as we can." Kaz agreed, leaning in for another kiss.

 **Skylar's POV**

"So, why aren't your guys wearing your Spark and Geminus uniforms?" Oliver inquired, looking at Jaime and Alivia. "I mean, I figured you'd be excited about the only day of the year that you can wear them in public."

"We wear those every day!" Alivia reminded him. "I wanted to wear something else, and freak out little kids with my Chucky impression."

Oliver turned to look at her. "Okay, you've been spending too much time with my sister."

"Yeah, probably." She agreed as Kaz and Dani walked back into the room. "I thought you were grabbing your review?"

"I think I left it in my locker at school." Dani shrugged, sitting back down at her earlier spot. "I'll just grab it later…Horace?" She stood up, eyes wide as Horace helped wheel a gurney into the room. Lying unconscious on the gurney was the hero Snowstorm, a cryokinetic with medium length blonde hair and a light blue spandex uniform. "What happened?"

"Oh, I spilled some prune juice on my pants." Horace showed her the stain on his kneecaps while Oliver and Kaz went to go examine Snowstorm.

"I meant the dying superhero." Dani looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Snowstorm was attacked by her nemesis, the Incinerator." Horace explained as the boys took her vitals. "She's in stable condition for now, but there's a risk that the Incinerator's toxin will spread and burn her up inside."

"I don't understand. Why isn't Snowstorm's freezing powers counteracting the heat?" Jaime questioned as Dani joined Oliver and Kaz.

"Because the Annihilator stole her powers a few months ago." Oliver explained, glancing at us. "I saw her canister on his shelf, next to Skylar's."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Horace smiled at them. Oliver nodded.

"Kaz, Dee, and I can go to the Annihilator's lair and get back Snowstorm's powers, and while we're there, we can grab all the other powers and restore them to all the superheroes who lost them?" He guessed.

"No, I was thinking about how much I love Kaz's nerd costume. Yours too, Dani." Horace complimented them before frowning at Oliver. "I have no idea what you are."

My mind was whirling. This was the perfect opportunity. If I could taint all the heroes' powers just like the Annihilator had tainted mine, I could turn half the superhero world evil in one go. But I had to make sure I tainted them before Oliver, Kaz, or Dani could get them back.

 **Alivia's POV**

"You guys are sure you don't want our help?" I asked again, looking at Dani. We were in the girl's change room, as she had actually forgotten something in there and I had wanted to talk to her.

"Liv, really. It's fine." She assured me, pulling her cell phone charger out of the locker and pocketing it. I leaned back against the wall of lockers behind me. "The Annihilator and Experion were the only ones with access to the lair, and they're both in Mighty Max, so it's not like we're going to run into trouble. And we've got Skylar to help carry the stuff. Besides, when's the last time you had the day off to spend with Jaime?"

"Fair enough. And, it's not like you'll be by yourself. You'll have Oliver and Skylar." I reasoned. I paused for a moment, then smirked at her. "And of course, you'll have Kaz."

She paused, her hand freezing on the lock, and she looked at me. I smirked cheekily, raising my eyebrows as I awaited her response. After a moment, she let out a frustrated noise. "You know."

"I know." I agreed, smirk growing.

"How?" She sounded exasperated.

"Making out in an empty hallway in the middle of a party isn't exactly the best place to do so, especially if you want to keep this under wraps, Dani." I warned her. "But before you freak, I'm the only one who saw, and I haven't told anyone."

"Good. We'd like to keep it that way." She warned me, giving me a look. I smiled back, pretending to zip my lips shut. "Thank you."

"No prob. But I do expect details later." I replied, following her out of the change room.

"Deal. Anyway, I'm gonna go find the boys. Have fun at the party." She told me, heading off down the hall. I headed into the rec room, where Jaime was watching TV.

"So, just us today." I smiled at her, sitting down beside her.

"Just how I like it." She replied, leaning in to kiss me. The kiss was cut short, however, when Alan came bumbling into the room, pleading with Horace.

"…a Halloween party tonight at the Normo school." He was saying. "Can I go?"

"I don't want you in the Normo World." Horace shook his head, much to Alan's disappointment. "It's too dangerous."

"Too dangerous?" I repeated skeptically. "Horace, this place gets attacked, like, once a week."

"Thank you, Geminus." Horace gave me a look, the sarcasm in his voice enough to shut me up.

"They're right, though. Besides, going to the party will give me a chance to explore my roots, since I'm half-Normo." Alan added.

"Half-Normo?" Horace repeated, confused. "Who told you that?"

"Uh, you did." Alan reminded him, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh, that's right. You are half-Normo." Horace nodded, remembering. "That's the part of your history I'd like to forget, so I did."

"His parenting skills are so on point." Jaime whispered to me. I giggled a bit, but quieted down when Horace gave me another stern look.

"Anyway, you can't go to the party because we're celebrating Halloween right here at Mighty Med." Horace continued. We both looked at him, confused. We hadn't heard anything about that. "I'll show you. Say trick-or-treat.'

"Trick-or-treat." Alan repeated, deciding to humor the man. Horace grinned, then smashed an egg on Alan's sweater vest.

"Trick!" He exclaimed gleefully, much to Alan's annoyance. Not that Horace noticed. "There! Wasn't that fun? I love Halloween!"

Jaime looked at me. "Okay, I know I just said that I wanted to have the day to ourselves, but…"

"You want to see how this train wreck ends up?" I guessed. She nodded. "Agreed."

We watched as Horace left the room, possibly to try the same trick on different staff members, while Alan just looked disappointed. "Hey, Alan, I'm sure Horace will throw a good Halloween party here."

"No, he's not." The black-haired boy rolled his eyes. "He's going to screw it up. He'll have a couple of decorations, and a limbo stick, and that's it."

"Probably." Jaime agreed. Alan sighed.

"I don't know what to do." He told us. "I want to go to this Halloween party tonight at the Normo school, but my Uncle Horace won't let me. I'm thinking about sneaking out and going anyway. What do you think?"

"Sounds like fun." "That's not such a good idea, Alan." Jaime and I replied at the same time.

"Hey, kid." We looked up to see the hero Spotlight standing near us. The 20-year-old, brown haired superhero with light-manipulation powers had stayed after Skylar's party yesterday, complaining of a back injury, but from what I knew about him, he was likely just trying to flirt with the female nurses and doctors. "You should definitely go to that Normo Halloween party."

"Yeah?" Alan looked surprised to see him encouraging him. Dark Warrior stepped out from behind Spotlight and nodded.

"Yeah, and we'll go with you." He added. "Halloween's the only day of the year that we can walk among Normos and now drawn attention to ourselves."

"Yeah? Might be a little hard not to drawn attention to yourselves with Spotlight here." I commented, jerking my thumb at the hero. He raised his hands in the universal I-Surrender motion.

"No powers then. Got it." He assured me. By this point, he wasn't the only hero who'd gathered around us. Solar Flare, Hydros, and Phantom had all joined in, eager for a break from the superhero world.

"You can all come." Alan promised them. "But I don't want my Uncle Horace to know I'm gone."

"And how do you plan to keep that from him? He's going to notice eventually." I informed him, still thinking that this was a bad idea.

"Hey, Phillip!" Alan called, running over to a nearby nurse to talk to him.

"We're going to be spending our entire night trying to keep them out of trouble, aren't we?" I guessed, sighing. Jaime shrugged.

"I don't mind. Besides, they're superheroes. How much trouble can they get into?"

 **Dani's POV**

"Where is that girl?" Kaz muttered as we walked around Mighty Med, trying to find Skylar. Since we knew we'd have a lot of powers to carry, and that Oliver had trouble carrying even one due to the weight (seriously bro, hit a gym. It'll change your life), we were hoping to get the newly-re-powered superhero to give us a hand.

"There she is." I told them, running up to Skylar to stop her from leaving. She was probably heading to the party, though I was a little annoyed that she would leave without us. "Skylar!"

She stopped at the doorway, then turned to smile at us. "Hey guys, what's going on?"

"We need your help." Ollie explained. "Kaz, Dani, and I are going to the Annihilator's lair to bring back all the stolen powers and restore them to all the superheroes."

"But they're really heavy." Kaz added. "Oliver's too weak to carry them, and I'm too lazy, so we need you to come and give Dani a hand."

"Jerk." I muttered, half-heartedly as he smirked at me. I looked at Skylar. "So, you want to come with us?"

"Dang it!" She shook her head apologetically at us. "I'd love to, but Horace won't let me leave Mighty Med until he runs some tests on me." She paused, looking into the distance. "What's that, Horace? Okay, on my way." She looked at us, smiling. "That was my super-hearing test. Aced it."

"Alright." Ollie sighed, disappointed as she left. Kaz looked around.

"We could ask Tecton." He suggested, gesturing at the hero. He was standing at the counter, probably waiting for a prescription or something.

"He's a superhero. He has more important things to do than be our errand boy." My brother told us. I shook my head at him, smiling teasingly.

"Think outside the box, Ollie." I replied. "He's a superhero. Superheroes help people. We're people. We need help. He'll help us."

"Hate to break it to you, Dee, but it doesn't work like that." He told me. I smirked in response, then spun around on my heels and walked purposefully over to Tecton.

"Hey, Tecton, do you want to help us with an errand?" I inquired.

"Sure." He agreed easily. "I'm a superhero. I help people. You're people. You need help. So, I'll help you."

"See? Told you." I stuck my tongue out at Ollie before explaining to Tecton what was going on.

 **Alivia's POV**

"This is such a mistake." I muttered as we walked into the school. If it were just a few of us, it wouldn't be so bad, but there were about seven superheroes walking into a Normo school, and as far I knew, only Jaime and I spent a fair bit of time out in the Normo world. Jaime and I had a bet going to see how long it would take for this all to fall apart.

"Chillax, Gem." Spotlight told me, an easy going grin on his face. "This is going to be awesome."

"Finally, I get to see Normo teenagers in their natural habitat." Alan murmured as we walked into the school. I had to admit; it looked pretty wicked. Everywhere you looked, there were curtains hanging from the ceiling, doors were covered in thick, creepy cobwebs, and Halloween themed music played from the PA, loud and festive.

"Yes, and what's more natural than pretending to be the undead or an ice cone?" Jaime joked, holding my hand.

"Says the couple dressed as Chucky and her faithful witch." Spotlight joked before pushing past Alan to head over to the snack table, where a couple of my classmates, Destiny and Paris, were chatting.

"Alan?" Gus made his way through the crowd, dressed completely in black with pieces of garbage, popcorn, and candy wrapped stuck all over to him. "I almost didn't recognize you in that crazy costume. A sweater vest with sleeves! Insane!"

"Hey Gus." I smiled at the boy, all the while trying to keep an eye on the heroes who had begun to mingle with the crowd. I frowned at him. "What are you supposed to be?"

"The floor of a movie theatre." He replied, as if it should have been obvious. I chuckled a bit at his idea; it sure was an original idea.

"Normo log, entry one: you can find free snacks on the floor of a Normo movie theatre." Alan murmured into his recorder, while Gus went off to talk to some girl in a cowgirl costume. Alan looked back at me. "Okay, I'm gonna go do some more research."

"Alright, guys just…stay out of trouble. We can't let anybody know that superheroes exist, so no powers whatsoever. Got it?"

"That means you, Incognito." Jaime added, looking pointedly to an apparently empty spot next to her. The air shimmer and Incognito reappeared. The remaining heroes separated into the crowd. I went to head for the snack table, but Jaime stopped me.

"Hey, what's going on? You're really on edge about this." She told me. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"I'm just…it's a long story, Jaime." I sighed. She crossed her arms, giving me a look.

"I've got time." She replied, challenging me to walk away from this conversation. I sighed, grabbed her by the hand, and dragged her into one of the other classrooms.

"I'm trying to get my dad to release me from my sidekick oath." I told her, looking around to make sure no Normos were eavesdropping. She looked at me, realization dawning on her.

"You're trying to become a fully-fledged superhero." She realized. I nodded.

"If I can get released into full hero-ship before my next birthday, I'll be one of the top three youngest superheroes of this generation, just behind you and Skylar Storm." I reasoned. She looked at me.

"That's why you've been cranky with Spotlight all day. He's currently the third youngest superhero. He's the guy you have to beat." She smirked.

"He started being Spotlight two months past his sixteenth birthday. I have just a little over three months to beat him, and I really want to beat him. The League of Heroes is always trying to get younger members in their ranks, and if I'm one of the youngest full superheroes, then there's a chance I might be eventually become a League member."

"Just like your dad." She nodded.

"But I need to prove how responsible I can be first, and it's hard enough considering my only assignment is to keep Oliver, Kaz, and Dani out of trouble – which is literally impossible – and now if things go wrong here…"

"They won't. We'll keep them out of trouble, and then you'll look even better in your dad's eyes for being able to do so." She promised me. She leaned forward, kissing me on the nose, a twinkle in her eyes. "I promise."

 **Skylar's POV**

I opened my space portal in front of the Annihilator's cell in Mighty Max and, after checking to make sure there weren't any guards, I stepped out onto the cold, steel floor. The Annihilator, who'd been pacing around, jumped when he saw me, startled.

"Jeez! Don't you knock before you enter from a space portal?" He demanded grumpily.

"Sorry." I apologized. "But I have bad news. Oliver, Dani, and Kaz are going to return the powers in your lair to the superheroes that you stole them from."

"Hmm…Maybe we can use this to our advantage." The Annihilator hummed. I nodded.

"That's what I was thinking. I think I should sabotage the powers before they get there." I replied.

"Then when they restore the powers, they'll create an army of evil superheroes." I could hear the smile in his voice. "Brilliant."

I smiled back, then froze when I heard footsteps. "Wait, someone's coming."

I turned my invisible and watched as a guard walked by, oblivious to the fact that I was even here. I made myself visible once more and smiled at the Annihilator. "Man, I love doing that." It felt so good to use my powers.

"Make sure the Normos are delayed." The Annihilator instructed. I nodded.

"See you later." I told him, turning myself invisible. He looked in my general direction.

"You're still there, aren't you?" He guessed. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry, I just really love doing that." I told him before actually heading off to stop Dani and the boys.

 **Dani's POV**

"Alright, Tecton said he'd meet us at the lair." I told the boys, walking up to them. "He's helping Jenn with some baby stuff."

"I can't believe he got his ex pregnant. Won't it be awesome when we have a baby Tecton crawling around?" Kaz chuckled. "I bet his burps cause mini-earthquakes."

"You don't know it's a boy. I think it'll be a girl." I smirked. "But yeah, it will be awesome."

"Guys!" Our conversation was interrupted by Skylar, who ran up to us with a relieved expression on her face. "You haven't left yet."

"We were about to when we realized that we need one of Experion's eyeballs to get past the Annihilator's retina scanner." Ollie explained.

"So we went all the way down to Mighty Max-" Kaz added.

"Then Experion remembered that the Annihilator keeps an extra eyeball under the 'You're not welcome' mat." I finished.

"Which seems like an unsanitary place to keep an eyeball, but then again, the guy does live in a sewer." Ollie commented. Suddenly, an alarm began to go off, and Horace burst out of the rec room, carrying a jack-o'-lantern in his arms.

"Snowstorm has taken a sudden turn for the worse. We have to restore her powers right away, or she'll die." He told us, worried.

"We'll head to the Annihilator's lair right away." I promised him. He nodded.

"Good, oh, and if you see Alan, tell him I made this for him." He held out the jack-o'-lantern to show us. To be perfectly honest, it was really lame, with just a couple of triangles for eyes, a smaller triangle for a nose, and a mouth. I wasn't any master pumpkin carver or anything, but even I could come up with something cooler than that.

"That's the worst carved pumpkin ever." Kaz said what I'm sure we were all thinking.

"Are you kidding? It's a perfectly accurate portrait!" Horace defended himself before pushing open the door to the rec room. "Dr. O-Lantern!" He called inside. "Let's go tend to Snowstorm."

Out of the rec room walked Dr. O-Lantern, a humanoid man with a pumpkin for a head. In all fairness, Horace's pumpkin carving was fairly accurate. Ollie turned to us as the two doctors ran into the ER. "Okay, we need to get to that lair fast."

"Maybe I can open up a space portal for you guys." Skylar suggested, trying to be helpful. "You'll get there in, like, a second."

We all grinned at the very idea. "Ooh, I've always wanted to travel through a space portal." I beamed.

"Wait, is it cold?" Ollie pulled his windbreaker out of his bag. "Should we wear jackets?"

"You'll be fine." Skylar assured us. "But don't tell Horace I used my powers, okay? I'm worried he'll get mad and I hear he's throwing eggs at people."

"Deal." We all replied, excited. She raised her hand and a rip in the space time continuum appeared next to us, just large enough for us to step through. Ollie, Kaz, and I hurried through, curious to see what it felt and looked like. But instead of walking through the portal into the Annihilator's lair, we found ourselves floating in a massive bubble, in the middle of deep space.

"Where are we?" Kaz questioned, looking around. I fidgeted a bit, the bubble feeling weird under my feet, as if I was actually floating on my own.

"Skylar's space portal accidentally stranded us in space." I realized, poking the bubble to see what would happen. Nothing did.

"Horace was right! Her powers must still be messed up." Ollie continued. "But luckily, we're surrounded by some kind of – Dani, stop poking the bubble!"

I raised my hands way from the bubble, rolling my eyes. If it didn't pop the first time I touched it, I seriously doubted that it would pop if I continued, but whatever. Then I rubbed my arms, shivering and regretting that I was wearing a tank-top. "It's cold in here." I commented.

"Well, you should have brought your windbreaker." Ollie scolded, pulling his on. I sent him a look, a glare that softened when Kaz unbuttoned his plaid over-shirt.

"Here." He told me, handing it to me while he was left shivering in his black t-shirt.

"Kaz-" I tried to stop him, but he looked at me.

"Dani, take it." He told me, his voice stern. I rolled my eyes, despite my smile, and pulled it on, rolling up the sleeves that were just a couple of inches too long for me.

"Dude, really? You're giving her your shirt?" Ollie questioned. Kaz paused, trying to think of an excuse, then shrugged.

"It's better than listening to her complain the whole time." He replied.

"You know what? Let's just go back through the…" I trailed off, realizing that Skylar's portal was gone. "Uh, where's the portal?"

"It's gone." Ollie realized, a look of dread growing on his face. "What if we're stuck in here? How much oxygen do we have."

"Don't worry. We're not going to run out of oxygen." Kaz promised him. I glanced at him.

"How do you know?" I inquired, curious. He pointed past me.

"Because we're going to be killed by that meteor first." He replied. Ollie and I both turned to see a massive, twenty-foot-tall meteor flying right at us.

"Ahh!" We screamed in terror.

"If anyone's got a plan, let's hear it!" I shouted, back up as much as I could. Not that it would do much in the end – the farthest I could get was a single foot behind my brother and my boyfriend.

"Right." Ollie nodded, pulling up the hood on his windbreaker.

"You really think that's going to help?" I questioned incredulously. He shook his head.

"No, but I'm not going to spend my last few minutes with a cold neck." He replied. I looked at Kaz, who was just as freaked as we were, and without a plan. I looked around the bubble, not entirely sure what I was looking for. I felt like a goldfish in its bowl, or a hamster in its…that's it!

"Hamsters!" I shouted, feeling like a genius.

"What?" The boys just stared at me, confused. I grinned.

"Run like hamsters!" I exclaimed, begging to run while facing the left. "Don't ask questions, just do it!"

They exchanged confused looks, but did as I requested, running alongside me. Slowly, but surely, the bubble began to move, until the meteor flew past us harmlessly. "Ta-da!" I sang, smirking at Ollie. "See? I can come up with good ideas too."

"You just saved our-Hamsters!" Kaz cut himself off and we raced forward in the other direction as another meteor flew past us. This one was much closer, just barely missing the side of the bubble.

"We can't keep this up forever." Ollie breathed heavily, looking at us. "We need to get out of here."

"Give me your watch." Kaz instructed, pulling out his phone. Ollie looked at him.

"What, why?" He questioned.

"Just give it to me!" Kaz insisted impatiently. Ollie obediently removed his watch and handed it to Kaz.

"What are you thinking, Kaz?" I questioned as he began to smash the watch with his phone.

"You do know that you can't stop time just by breaking my watch, right?" Ollie questioned.

"I think I know how to open a space portal." Kaz explained.

"How?" Ollie questioned.

"Do you remember how Silver Shield opened a hole in space by shooting a neutron blast through a quartz crystal?" Kaz questioned. "Well, your watch has a quartz crystal in it and cell phones give off neutron blasts."

"No, they don't!" Ollie exclaimed, exasperated.

"Well, they give off something!" I retorted. Ollie looked at me. "I think it could work, and I know it can't make things any worse than they are now."

"Look, I know you guys were right about the costume and about Tecton, but this makes absolutely no sense at all." Ollie told us.

"Do you have a better idea?" Kaz questioned rhetorically. "Because by my watch, we have about a minute to live."

"Fine." Ollie sighed. He paused. "Wait, if you have a watch, why'd you break mine?"

"Because it's part of a matching set." Kaz reasoned, showing him the identical watches.

 **Alivia's POV**

So far, the party wasn't that bad. The other heroes had been reasonable, not showing off with their powers or weaponry, so as far as anyone knew, we were all just ordinary Normos having fun. "Hey, Red." I looked up to see Spotlight waltzing over to me, a smirk on his face.

"Don't call me that." I replied, filling my drink at the fountain on the refreshments table. He leaned against the table, looking at me.

"You don't like me much, do you?" He guessed. I didn't respond. "Oh come on! You're nice to everyone, even Alan, but not me."

"So? Why do you care?" I inquired. He shrugged.

"I don't. I just want to why. I never did anything to you personally." He commented. "So, is it because you're trying to replace me as one of the youngest heroes out there, or because I used to date your girl over there?"

I glanced over at Spark, who was speaking with Jordan about something comic book related. I smiled, seeing the enthusiasm in her eyes, before looking back at Spotlight. "I don't care that she's bi."

"I know. But you don't like that I'm her ex, and that we've been hanging out lately." He added. I rolled my eyes. "Look, all heroes work together at some point, so I'd rather if we're not enemies or something.

"We're not enemies, Spotlight." I rolled my eyes, and tried to walk away, but he grabbed me by the arm.

"No, seriously." He stopped me. "Gem, you're a fairly respectable sidekick, and babysitting the Normos-"

"Their names are Kaz, Dani, and Oliver, and I'm their bodyguard, not their babysitter." I interrupted him. He nodded.

"Alright. Protecting Kaz, Dani, and Oliver can't be easy, but you're really good at it." He complimented me. I blushed a bit, but didn't reply. "And as for our Jaime, well…you don't have to be jealous."

"I'm not!" I protested. I wasn't, really.

"Good. Because I don't stand a chance standing next to you." He told me. I couldn't help but smile. "So seriously, we cool?"

"I guess-" I broke off as my phone vibrated. I paled when I read the incoming text.

 **From: Dr. H. Diaz**

 **Geminus, I'm looking for Alan. I don't suppose you've seen him?**

"What's wrong?" Spotlight frowned, looking at me. I pocketed the phone, not replying to the text message.

"We're busted." I replied, worried. Crap, crap, crap.

 **Dani's POV**

"Okay, it's ready." Kaz announced after what seemed like forever and a day. "I'll open the space portal on ten."

"Just hurry it up." I muttered, pacing. I was cold again, and the air around us was beginning to taste stale.

"One Mississippi, two Mississippi-" Kaz began to count aloud. Ollie looked at him like he was crazy.

"We have no air! Stop with the Mississippis!" He snapped.

"Well, now you made me lose count!" Kaz exclaimed, annoyed. "I'll have to restart. One Mississippi, two Mississippi…"

 **Skylar's POV**

I hummed to myself as I paced around the Annihilator's lair, trying to remember what I'd forgotten to do. I'd made a mental list earlier of my responsibilities for the day, but for the life of me, I just couldn't remember what it was.

"Contaminate superhero powers, check. Mail cable bill, check." I hummed, thinking. "What am I forgetting?"

Suddenly, an image of Oliver popped into my head, followed by Dani and Kaz. Oh, right. "Oops." I laughed lightly to myself, snapping my fingers to create a space portal for them back to Mighty Med. Didn't want them to suffocate in deep space, now did I?

 **Dani's POV**

"Ah!" I cried out in startled surprise as Ollie, Kaz, and I fell backwards through a space portal, landing on the floors of Mighty Med. We all looked around, completely stunned that Kaz's idea actually worked. "You…did it?"

"Always the tone of surprise." Kaz chuckled, climbing to his feet.

"You saved our lives." Ollie echoed my surprise. "Your crazy idea worked."

"And I didn't even get to ten Mississippi!" Kaz chuckled.

"Seriously though, I'm never going to second guess you two again." My brother insisted, grinning.

"Good, because we have to the Annihilator's lair." Who knows how long we were stuck in space? Wow, that was a sentence I'd never thought I ever have to say.

"Yeah, according to my two watches, Tecton's been waiting for us for, like, ten minutes." Kaz added, before running off towards the exit, Ollie and I hot on his heels.

 **Skylar's POV**

"Last one." I muttered, contaminating the last of the power canisters.

"Skylar?" I spun around at the sound of my name, shocked to see Tecton standing behind me. He looked at me, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, Kaz, Dani, and Oliver asked me to get Snowstorm's powers back." I lied. "She's really sick."

"You don't seem like you're in much of a hurry to get back to Mighty Med." He commented suspiciously, looking at me in a new light. "And what's that in your hand?"

"Nothing." I shook my head, forcing a smile onto my face.

"Really? Because it looks like a device that's only purpose is to contaminate powers." He challenged, stepping closer to me. I backed away, trying to make myself look vulnerable. I needed him to believe me on this.

"Tecton, I swear, you're wrong. I'm Skylar Storm. I would never do anything evil." I pleaded with him. But I could tell that it wouldn't make any difference. Even if he wasn't about to attack me, he didn't trust me. Fine, then time to take some initiative. "Like this, for instance!"

I charged at him, using both my super-speed and my super-strength to land several strong punches to his gut before he could even react. I'd taken him by surprise, for sure; no matter his suspicions, Tecton would never have expected me to outright attack him. Before he could land a blow of his own, I spun around, using my momentum to help strengthen the kick I directed to his stomach.

The force of my kick sent him flying through the air, directly into the wall. I turned around as he hit the ground, and reached for the power contaminator device. But my super-senses picked up on movement behind me before I could. I spun around, telekinetically catching the large metal pipe that Tecton had thrown at me. Having no use for the pipe, I crushed it into a ball, discarding to the corner for me to deal with later.

I turned to face Tecton, considering my options. I had more powers than him by far, but he was more durable than I, and it was near impossible to injure him, which would make things difficult. So, time for a different strategy.

Tecton raised his hands, sending a tectonic wave of energy at me. I didn't move – I didn't have the chance – and the wave knocked me of my feet and onto the ground. I laid there, wincing at the pain that had erupted in the back of my head when I hit the ground. Tecton stood over me, a deep frown on his face as he looked down at me, clearly bothered by this turn of events. I bet he never thought that I, of all people, would go dark side. The fool.

I waited until he lowered his guard, then shot a blast of energy right at his exposed chest. He stumbled back in pain and surprise, and I took advantage, sending several blasts his way to overwhelm him. Then, while he was still recovering from my last attack, I used my powers to create a sort of whip, using it to tie him up. He hit the ground, passed out cold.

I made sure that he really was down this time, then swiped the power contaminator off the shelf. I stepped over him, smirking. "Now, you will become Evil Tecton." I announced, bending down to inject him.

 **Alivia's POV**

"Alan!" I made my way through the crowd of people, trying to reach the shapeshifter. He, however, was busy making another Normo log.

"Normo log, entry 37: Baby carrots, baby corn, baby back ribs," He listed the foods on the snack table. "Normos love to eat babies."

"Alan!" I grabbed him by the arm. "Listen, we have to get out of here. Horace-"

"Is right there." Jaime interrupted, pointing at the said man, who was walking over to us. "Why does he always wear a suit out in the Normo world? Does he think that's all they wear?"

"No clue." I whispered back as he stalked over to us, clearly annoyed.

"Alan! How could you?" He demanded. "I specifically told you not to leave the hospital. You disobeyed me and put the secret of the superhero world in jeopardy."

"Don't worry." Alan told him. "I'm learning a lot and besides, no one even suspects that these are actual superheroes."

"Everyone!" Gus shouted over the crowd. "It's time to announce the best costume of the night."

We all turned to see Gus standing next to our Dark Warrior, a guy dressed as a nerd, and another guy in a Dark Warrior costume. "Our finalists are two Dark Warriors and a nerd."

"And our winner is…" Gus stepped next to our Dark Warrior. "Not this guy!" He pushed the actual superhero away and turned to the other guy. "Congratulations, Ashton. You're the winner."

"What?" The real Dark Warrior stared at Gus, aghast. "How could you pick his costume over mine?"

"Because your mom obviously made yours." Gus explained.

"So what if my mom made mine? Can his costume do this?" The Dark Warrior challenged, shooting his grappling hook up at the ceiling. It hooked onto a water pipe, and ripped it down, the pipe falling in the direction of Amber, a girl dressed in a fairy costume.

"Shit!" I cursed, watching as Mr. Quick's reflexes took over and he sped forward at super speed to pull the girl out of harm's way. "I knew this was going to happen."

"Now these kids know that superheroes exist." Horace worried.

"Don't worry; I think I know what to do." Alan reassured him before clearing his throat and speaking very loudly, above the crowd. "Ugh! Those special effects are SO lame!"

"Yeah!" Several students agreed, and the rest fell for the mob mentality.

"Huh, I thought they looked amazing." Gus commented thoughtfully. "But I don't want to seem like I don't fit in, so I'm going to agree. Boo!"

"And the idiocy of Normos never fails." Jaime smirked as the crowd began to boo the 'lame special effects'. Alan smirked, proud that his ruse had worked.

"Alan, that was quick thinking. How'd you come up with that?" Horace inquired, looking at the crowd in surprise.

"One thing I've learned in that Normo teenagers hate everything and can easily be whipped up into an angry mob." Alan explained. "Watch." He cleared his throat and pointed at Gus. "That kid has glasses! Get him!"

To my genuine surprise, everyone charged at Gus. At least the poor kid had the sense to start running, and was halfway out the door before any could stop him. "Spotlight!" I snapped, grabbing the hero by the back of his greyish-blue shirt and pulling him back before he could follow the mob. "No!"

"Party-pooper." He accused good-naturedly. "Oh, hey Horace."

"Alan," Horace turned to his nephew, a serious look on his face, "I've underestimated you. I didn't think that was possible."

"No one did, sir." I informed him.

 **Skylar's POV**

"Skylar?" I looked away from Tecton's limp body when I heard Oliver's voice. He, along with Kaz and Dani, stepped into the lair, a look of surprise on all of their faces. I noted that Dani was wearing Kaz's over shirt, but didn't comment on it yet. "What are you doing here?"

"And what happened to Tecton?" Dani added. Thankfully, she didn't look suspicious or anything, just confused and maybe a bit concerned for the hero.

"My Skylar Senses told me something was wrong." I lied. "I got here and found Tecton trying to steal all the powers."

"No, no, no. This is all a big misunderstanding, okay?" Oliver smiled at me reassuringly. "We asked Tecton to meet us here to get the powers, but somehow, we got stranded in space." He paused, realizing what he was saying. "I'm not pointing any fingers."

"I am. It was you!" Kaz pointed at me accusingly.

"Yeah, what the hell, Skylar?" Dani added, crossing her arms.

"I-I'm sorry." I tried to make myself look as apologetic as possible. "My powers are still glitchy."

"It's alright. Everyone makes mistakes." Oliver assured me.

'Anyway, I caught Tecton here trying to inject himself with all these powers, and then he attacked me." I told them. "I think he's evil and working with the Annihilator."

"No, Tecton wouldn't do that." Dani insisted. Kaz nodded.

"Yeah, Tecton can't be evil; he's my boy!" He agreed with her. I gestured down at Tecton, where his meteorite insignia had turned from blue to white while I waited for Oliver, Dani, and Kaz.

"See for yourself." I told them seriously.

Oliver, who'd bent down to examine his friend, ran his hand along the insignia. "His insignia turned white. He is evil."

They all looked at each other, deeply bothered by this news. I glanced at them, briefly wondering if this was how they'll react when they eventually find out about me, or would their reaction be more of anger? "C'mon. We need to save Snowstorm." I reminded them.

 **Xxx**

"Skylar, thanks for your help." Oliver mentioned to me after examining a now awake and alert Snowstorm. "Because of you, she's going to be okay."

"Yeah, but now it's freezing in here." Kaz complained. Oliver smirked at him.

"Really? I didn't notice." He commented, zipping up his windbreaker. Dani began to fumble with the buttons of Kaz's shirt.

"Right, you probably want this back now." She said, as if she'd forgotten that she'd borrowed it.

"No, it's fine." Kaz sighed. "I still can't believe that all this time Tecton was really the Annihilator's boy."

"I know." I agreed. "But at least, now you can restore the powers of all the superheroes that Horace contacted."

"That's true." Dani smiled. She walked past me to grab one of the power canisters off of the cart we were using to bring them places.

"Actually, maybe we should wait." Oliver suggested, a thoughtful look on his face. "I want to hold off for a day or two, just to see if Snowstorm comes down with any negative side effects."

"I think we should do it now." Kaz told him.

"Well, waiting is the safer play." Oliver insisted.

"What happened to you not second-guessing us?" Dani questioned, readjusting her hold on the canister. Even though she was more in shape than the boys, she was still having trouble carrying the weight. Dumb Normos and their lack of super strength. It was kinda funny, actually.

"Besides, we restored Skylar's powers and she's perfectly fine." Kaz added. "Right, Skylar?"

"Yep." I smiled at them. "I've never felt better."

"Alright." Oliver nodded. "Let's go with your instincts and restore everyone's powers."

They headed down the hall, to the rec room where all the other heroes waiting patiently for the return of their powers. I turned around to look at Snowstorm, who was smirking at me. I could see that the insignias on her nails, once a dark blue color, had lost their color and turned white, just like the streak in my hair. She curled her fingers inwards, hiding the nails from sight, but the smirk never left her face.

I smirked to myself, pleased. By the end of the day, half of the heroes in the hospital would have been turned evil, and it was only a matter of time before I got to the rest of them.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? Good, bad? Somewhere in between? You know I LOVE reviews, so please leave one for me. Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few updates:**

 **Mighty Mole – October 9** **th**

 **The Claw Prank Redemption – October 14** **th**

 **Storm's End – October 24** **th**

 **Oh, and if you noticed that I've neglected to add 'Do You Want to Build a Lava-Man' to the list, don't worry. Since the episodes are set literally seconds apart, I'm combining it with Storm's End for a very special, very long chapter. Anyway, don't forget to review, and I guess I'll be talking to you all in a few days!**


	21. Mighty Mole

**Kihonne: Alright guys, I'm back, and this time, with Mighty Mole! It's an awesome episode (and hopefully chapter too) so I'm not going to waste much of your time by talking. Straight to the shoutouts!**

 **Xxx**

 **LabGirl2001: Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you like this chapter just as much.**

 **Zephryr: That sucks about your laptop – I've had it happen to me, and I nearly went crazy without it. Don't apologize at all – I completely understand. No, I don't think it's weird – sometimes evil characters are more entertaining and deeper than good ones. I'm glad you liked the Kani scenes. As for your theory, I hate to say that you're wrong about her powers, but it was a fairly good guess. I did consider giving her animal-related abilities for a while, but I also figured it would be too obvious if I did that, and I liked to subtly hint at things. The hints are more like the way people would describe Dani, or some of the words she chooses to use in sentences. I don't think anyone's going to guess it, but once I reveal her powers, I think people are going to go back and realize the subtle comments here and there. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Fangirlish13: I'm glad you're enjoying it! I love writing intense chapters like that, so you're really going to enjoy this second half of the series, I promise. And you should be excited for Mr. Terror – I've got exciting plans for that. As for the talk shows, I'm only going to do one (the series is so short), but I'm going to have it once the Slylar Storm chapters are done. Enjoy!**

 **PiLot guest: I am so, so, sorry. I know you're probably the type to forgive me for this, but I so wanted to update on your birthday, but my internet crashed and I only got it back about twenty minutes ago! I'm so sorry I missed it. Happy belated birthday, though. I hope it was a good one and that you get all that you've wished for. I'm glad you like my use of the background characters – I actually have some plot ideas for some of them, but I can't say much right now about it without spoiling the series finale (and I mean the original chapter one, not the wedding episode one). I think you're going to like what I'm going to do with them, though. I can't believe a writer actually said that – original chapters ARE fanfiction. We're supposed to reveal our original ideas. I have to disagree with him/her. I'm afraid there won't be too many original chapters for this series, simply because I'm working with a schedule, but out of the two I'm planning, I have one that's pretty funny and action packed, and then a very intense and dramatic one later. I think you're going to find them interesting. And yes, it's refreshing to be able to fix the mistakes they make because they don't care. Ages are the biggest problem there, I find. Technically, lab rats ran for four years (there were four wedding anniversaries) but every character only ages up about a year, so mistakes like that bug me to no end. I can't totally understand the lack of time – I'm on my feet for twelve hours a day now. There won't be too many Elite Force episodes to work with – by time this thing is done, the first season will be over, but only with 16 episodes – but I have a number of character/story arcs that I can make original chapters from. Enough that if, for whatever reason, Elite Force was cancelled, I could make another full season. You're right – this one is a lot more lighthearted than The Lab Assistant, but you're going to like the Power of Seven because of that. I'm going to mix in the serious bits – I love writing those – but Kaz, Oliver, Dani, and Skylar are going to bring a lot more fun and lightheartedness to the team. They're going to affect Calla, Chase, and Bree a lot like that, and you'll find that while some of the younger characters are going to be maturing a bit, the older characters are going to be reminded that it's okay for them to still act like kids from time to time. Kaz and Dani will definitely be getting everyone into a lot of crazy situations that I'm sure you and the rest of my readers will find funny. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and once again, happy belated birthday.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Oh, and I'd like to dedicate this chapter to the late Windell Middlebrooks. He was an incredible actor, and I am truly saddened that this episode was his last appearance in Mighty Med before he passed away.**

 **Agent Blaylock: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Oliver's POV**

I looked up from the book in my hands, hearing some sounds coming from outside the window. I glanced at the clock, the current time, 12:34 A.M., shining back at me. I sighed, sitting up in the bed as I heard something heavy hit the roof, just outside the open window. A moment later, a bag was tossed through the window, and my sister starting climbing in.

I cleared my throat and Dani froze, one leg still hanging out the window. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, eyes as wide as saucers as she realized that I'd caught her. I raised an eyebrow as she recovered from her shock, waiting for her to say something.

"Wha…what are you doing in my room?" She questioned eventually, her tone full of annoyance. She swung her leg in completely and shut the window behind her.

"Waiting for you." I replied, snapping the book closed. "You're two and a half hours past our curfew."

"What are you, Mom?" She questioned, rolling her eyes as she eased off her jacket. She tossed it onto the ground by her bed, obviously not caring too much about it. She walked over to her dresser mirror, brushing her hair back as she went to take out the earrings she was wearing.

"No, but just so you know, Mom's pissed." She paused at that, a nervous look flickering onto her face for a moment. "I lied and told her you were sleeping over at Liv's. Just make sure you don't run into her before school tomorrow."

"Thanks." She sent me a grateful smile, dropping the earrings.

"So, where were you really?" I questioned. She glanced at me through the mirror, then looked down at her dresser, carefully placing the earrings in their box. "Dani!"

"I was out." She replied, annoyed. I looked at her. "Look, Ollie, it doesn't matter. Besides, you're not my keeper."

"You weren't answering your phone, and Liv hadn't seen you, so I was worried." I insisted. She rolled her eyes. I glanced at the earrings on her dresser, recognizing them as the ones Dad brought her the last time he was in town. "Were you on a date?"

"I went to see a movie. It ran later than expected." She told me.

"Yeah? Who'd you go with?" I questioned. She shrugged. "Dani, if you're seeing someone-"

"Who I date is none of your business, Ollie!" She snapped.

"It's someone I know, right? That's why you won't tell me, right?" I demanded. She looked at me.

"Drop it." She warned me. I got up with a frustrated sigh, and headed for the door.

"Don't expect me to cover for you next time you and boyfriend are late." I grumbled before shutting the door behind me.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Wow." I grinned, walking into Mighty Med, Alivia just behind me. "Check out the hero's welcome I'm getting for helping Oliver and Dani restore all the superheroes' powers yesterday."

"No one's even looking at you." The red head pointed out.

"Exactly." I looked at her, wondering how she could miss that obvious sign of respect. "That's the highest form of flattery. They feel unworthy to even set eyes on such greatness."

"Sure." She rolled her eyes as Jaime headed in our direction, apparently in a rush as she adjusted her superhero uniform. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nightstrike, bank robbery. Not much." She told her girlfriend, already opening the doors so she could leave. "By the way, Thing One and Thing Two are fighting, so have fun with that!"

"Wait, what?" I looked at her in confusion. She didn't answer, instead racing out the door to go save the tax payer's money. I looked over at the ER counters, where both Dani and Oliver were working in dead silence, occasionally sending each other annoyed looks. I leaned on the nearest counter to them, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, what's the problem?"

"Ollie's being an over-controlling brother and won't respect my privacy." Dani stated simply, not looking up from the computer she was typing on.

"You're the one keeping secrets from me!" Oliver snapped. He looked at me. "She gets home past midnight this morning, without an explanation, and expects me to cover for her with mom, while still refusing to tell me what's up."

Oh, oops. Dani and I had gone on our first actual date, since Oliver had been stuck with the late shift at Mighty Med, but after the movie we'd gone out for smoothies and lost track of the time. But of course, telling Oliver that was probably not a good idea.

"You guys shouldn't be fighting; we saved the day yesterday, and we should be celebrating." I pointed out, figuring a distraction was the best way to go. "C'mon, we were bad-asses!"

"We are pretty awesome." Dani agreed, smirking.

"I guess." Oliver also relented.

"We should document our heroism." I insisted, pulling out my phone. "C'mon."

"Fine." Oliver sighed, walking around the counter to stand beside me. Dani just hopped over the counter, sitting on top of it just behind us. I held the camera out and up, pointing it at the three of us.

"Dear future generations of people and/or cyborgs," Dani began, a smirk on her face.

"Yesterday, the world was saved from the forces of evil, and you maybe be wondering who did it." I continued.

"Well, look no further!" Oliver exclaimed. "It was yours truly, Oliver Short."

"And yours truly, Danica Short," Dani added.

"And yours truly, Kazimieras Broadman." I finished. Oliver stopped and looked at me.

"Kazimieras?" He repeated. I nodded, shrugging.

"Yeah, it's my real name. But I go by Kaz because nobody can spell Kazimieras." I explained. "Especially me. K-A-Z-I, K-A-Z-E? It's impossible!"

"I've known you since we were three, and you've never told me that." Oliver told me, a hurt expression on his face.

"Sure I have." I shrugged. Dani shook her head at me from her spot behind Oliver. "What's the big deal? There are hundreds of secrets I've never told you."

Okay, maybe not the best thing to say, especially when one of those secrets was the fact that I'm dating his sister. Dani gave me an annoyed look, while Oliver looked plain suspicious.

"Like what?" He questioned.

"Uh, like the fact that I've been stealing the meat out of your sandwiches every day for five years." I admitted.

"I wondered why my mom was always making me cheese sandwiches." Oliver hummed thoughtfully. "Sometimes it was only bread!"

"It's no big deal, man. I'll stop if you want me to." Probably not, but I'd say anything to keep him from flipping out about this.

"I thought we had a pact; we weren't supposed to keep secrets from each other!" He insisted as Skylar walked over to us. "Right, Skylar?"

"Uh, right." She agreed. "I would never keep any kind of secret from you. Shame on you, guys. Shame on you."

"Whatever." Dani shrugged. "I've got work to do."

She slid off the counter and headed towards the rec room, presumably to get some peace and quiet. Oliver watched her go. "So, is she grounded for staying out so late…" I inquired.

"No, Mom thinks she crashed at your place, Liv." He looked past me at the hero. She nodded.

"Yeah, okay." She agreed.

"I just don't get what's going on with her." He sighed. "She never keeps secrets from me, and I'm pretty sure she's seeing someone."

"Well, you guys are growing up." Alivia reasoned. "She's not going to go to about everything, Oliver. You're just going to have to accept that."

"Yeah, not likely." I muttered as Oliver scowled. I sighed as he headed back to his work. Maybe keeping Dee and I a secret wasn't such a great idea.

 **Oliver's POV**

I was working in the ER with Kaz, while Dani checked over one of her patients. Alivia and Skylar were hanging around, the former trying to engage the latter in an energetic conversation about which supervillain would take over the supervillain world now that the Annihilator was in prison. She figured it would either be Dr. Wrath, Megahertz, or the mysterious Mr. Terror, but I found any of those hard to believe. Kaz, Dani, and Skylar had defeated Dr. Wrath already, Megahertz was a serious threat, but not much of a leader, and there hadn't been any new information on Mr. Terror since I was four. My money was on someone new showing up, but it was so soon after the Annihilator's arrest to tell.

Suddenly, the ER doors swung open and two nurses pushed Jaime in on a gurney. Her arm was pressed tightly to her stomach, the other one gripped it while Jaime tried to hide the pained grimace on her face. "Spark!" Alivia exclaimed, leaping to her feet and running to the gurney.

"I'm okay." The blonde girl lied through her teeth, arching her back to try and remove some of her discomfort.

"What happened?" I questioned as Dani gently took Jaime's arm, brow furrowed as she examined the arm.

"Was it Nightstrike?" Alivia demanded furiously.

"No." She sucked in a sharp breath, sending Dani a hurt glare. "Surge and Neocortex."

"What? They attacked you?" Kaz questioned. She nodded, biting her lip. "Why?"

"I think I heard Surge say something to Neocortex about the Annihilator. I think they're working for him" She replied before hissing in pain.

"Sorry." Dani apologized, gently removing her hands from Jaime's injured arm. "But that is definitely broken in at least two spots. Gonna need an x-ray to see if there's any more."

"You know what this means, right?" I looked at the others.

"That the new Neocortex movie needs a quick rewrite?" Dani guessed.

"No, both Surge and Neocortex were at Mighty Med yesterday." I reminded them. Alivia looked at me, her expression quickly turning shocked.

"You think there's a mole here." She realized. I nodded.

"One who's secretly working with the Annihilator and turning superheroes evil." It was the only explanation.

"Ugh, some people. Shame on them, shame on them." Skylar commented, shaking her head.

"I know who it is." Kaz looked at me, his eyes wide. "It's so obvious, she's standing right in front of us."

"Who?" I demanded, grabbing his shoulder. He pointed over Skylar's shoulder, at Mesmira. The hero with hypnotic abilities was standing near the ER counter, an eyepatch covering the eyeball imbedded in her hand.

"It's Mesmira. She's even wearing an eyepatch." He insisted. "The only people who wear eye patches are pirates and villains."

"And patients being treated for pink eye…hand." Dani shrugged, not really sure if she used the right term, but not particularly caring. She walked over to Mesmira and piece of paper for her. "Just give this to the pharmacist, and she'll give you your eye-hand drops."

"If it's not Mesmira, who could it be?" I asked, turning to Skylar to see if she had any ideas.

"I don't know." She replied, looking just as confused as we were.

 **Xxx**

"Okay, where is Agent Blaylock?" Dani sighed, leaning back in her seat to look at Alivia. The red-head had been pacing around the rec room ever since Jaime had gone into surgery, clearly on edge about all of this. "Didn't you call him, like, an hour ago?'

"I have no idea what's taking him so long." Alivia muttered, her tone clipped.

"Hey, relax." I told her gently. "Jaime's okay, and we're going to figure this out."

"Yeah, we don't need Agent Blaylock." Kaz agreed, dragging a massive whiteboard towards us. On it, there were twenty or so photos of superheroes.

"Now, here are all the superheroes who were turned evil whose powers were in the Annihilator's lair." To my dismay, there were quite a few in that list, including Surge. "These are the heroes who turned evil after being recently treated at Mighty Med." Once again, there were far too many heroes on that list for my liking. "And these are the superheroes who owe me money."

"Dude, you loaned money to High Roller?" I demanded. "He's got a huge gambling problem. He's never going to pay you back!"

"He better." Kaz frowned. "This white board was expensive."

I shook my head at him, then opened my backpack and pulled out the book I'd bought over break. "What's that?" Dani questioned, frowning.

"The Beginner's Guide to Turning Superheroes Evil." I read the title out loud before handing it to her. "I thought it might give us some insight."

"Hey, Crimson Demon wrote a review." Dani chuckled, reading it. "'A must read. Seriously, read this or I'll burn your face off.' Cool."

Suddenly, Agent Blaylock ran into the room, phasing through the wall near the whiteboard. He was panting heavily as he slowed to a stop, completely out of breath. "Agent Blaylock!" Alivia looked relieved to have an authority figure finally show up, especially one from the Secret Superhero Service Division. "Why are you so winded?"

"I ran all the way here from my office!" He gasped, his breathing beginning to slow.

"How far is your office?" Dani demanded, shocked.

"On the other side of that wall." He jerked his thumb at the wall he'd walked through. "But the floor slopes uphill a little, and I had pancaked for lunch and…I don't have to explain myself to you! Now, what do you need?"

"Superheroes are turning evil-" Alivia began, but he cut her off.

"That's what you called me here for? Do you think I'm not aware of that? We've had fourteen heroes turn evil, the first being Tecton, and you reported him yesterday." The larger man snapped. "I'm already on it. You four stay out of this."

"But sir-" Alivia tried to protest, but he shut her down.

"Geminus, your orders are to let me handle this. Follow them." He instructed. "Now, I have to go all the way back to my office. Luckily, it's all downhill on the way back."

Without another word, he disappeared through the wall. Alivia watched him go, upset.

"That's it?" She demanded, infuriated.

"Liv-" Dani began in an attempt to calm her down, but she shook her head furiously.

"No!" She snapped, glaring at the wall. "Someone is attacking superheroes turning them evil, and he won't let us help stop them? That's…that's…" She let out a frustrated sigh. "They're attacking superheroes, alright, and at a much personal level than usual. I can't just stand back and watch this happen. These guys are my friends, my brothers and sisters in arms. I'm not lie back and let Blaylock handle this."

"Alright, good. Neither are we. But if you get all upset, you're not going to be focused." My sister insisted, looking at her best friend. "So take a breath, and think, okay?"

"Wait." Suddenly, something occurred to me. "I just figured out who the mole is. Who at Mighty Med has the strong motive to betray the superhero world?"

"No idea." "I give up." Dani and Kaz replied at the same time.

"You didn't even try!" I accused. Both of them just shrugged, neither of them denying it. "It's Alan."

"What? No way!" Alivia shook her head. "I know he's a bit of a prick-"

"A bit?" Dani interrupted.

"Okay, he's a complete prick, but he's not evil." The Irish girl insisted.

"Think about it. Who is totally power hungry, and who brought the Dyad of Nebulan to Wallace and Clyde?'

"I give up." "No idea." Dani and Kaz once again commented in unision.

"ALAN!" I snapped. "You guys are terrible at this!"

"Wait, no." Kaz looked at me, carefully considering what I had said. "It can't be possibly be Alan. He doesn't wear an eyepatch."

"He's not a mole, Ollie." Dani agreed. Suddenly, the door behind us burst open and Alan ran in. His nose, for whatever reason, was now a snout, with long whiskers poking out from it.

"I'm a mole!" He cried in distress. We all looked at him.

"What the heck?" Kaz demanded.

"Skylar scared me in the cafeteria and I turned partway into a mole." He explained. "By the way, be careful by the cafeteria. I made a mole hill, then I made a mountain out of it."

"Okay, that proves nothing." Dani insisted.

"Oh, and check out what Mesmira gave me." Alan grinned, pulling an eyepatch out of his pocket. Much to my disgust, he put it over his left eye, beaming,

"Okay, scratch that. That proves it." Dani relented, staring at him.

 **Xxx**

"I'm telling you, I'm not the mole!" Alan pleaded with us. We'd managed to get him locked in the rec room and seated at one of those cool interrogation tables. "I'm innocent!"

"If you're so innocent, why are you squirming so much?" Dani questioned, leaning in closer. While Kaz, still not believing that Alan was responsible for all the heroes turning evil, my sister was actually enjoying playing detective. I blamed it on far too many _Castle_ binges, but hey, if she thought she could get a confession out of him, I was happy to let her try.

"Because there's a spotlight in my face!" The black-haired boy retorted, gesturing at Spotlight. When the light manipulating hero had heard that Alan could be a mole, he'd been all too happy to help us interrogate him. Not only did he feel as strongly as Liv did about what the Annihilator was having his new ally do, but Surge had been his best friend for years up until the electrokinetic had turned evil.

"Spotlight?" Dani glanced over her shoulder and the older boy lowered his hand, turning off his light. She turned back to Alan, pushing the hair from her face. "We're going to get truth out of you eventually. There's no use keeping secrets."

I scoffed. "Funny you should be talking about not keeping secrets, Dee." I muttered. Kaz gave me an exhausted look.

"Dude, lay off." He told me.

"You're coming to her defense a lot lately, Kazimieras." I accused, annoyed. "If that is my real name."

"It is my real name." Kaz retorted, annoyed. Spotlight sighed audibly.

"Alright, you're being too soft on him. Let me handle this." He told Dani, gently pushing her away. She shrugged and stepped back to lean on the refrigerator, her shoulders brushing both mine and Kaz's. Spotlight turned him attention onto Alan. "Alright, punk. We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way."

He went to pull a chain out from under the table, but the arms were too high, and got caught under the table. He pulled at it again, quickly getting frustrated with it. Eventually, after much struggle, he managed to remove the chair. "I'm guessing that was the hard way?" Alan joked. Spotlight didn't answer, instead spinning the chair around and dropped himself into it.

There was a distinct ripping sound as he lowered himself into it, and a tear in the back of his pants formed, revealing the orange boxers underneath. "Did you just rip your pants?" Alivia asked, hands reaching up to her mouth.

"More importantly, are you wearing Solar Flare themed boxers?" Dani added.

"…No." He lied, clearly embarrassed. Alivia sat on the table, about to help her fellow superhero interrogate Alan, but before she could say anything, Agent Blaylock burst in, walking through the still closed and locked doors to the ER.

"I know who the mole is!" He announced. "I searched every nook and cranny in this hospital. And also on this English muffin." He took a bite of the treat, smiling to himself. "Mmm-mm-mm! Mmm!"

"I already know who the mole is." I told him, exasperated. Alivia was right; he should have just let us help.

"Of course you do, because it's you!" He pointed at me accusingly. I pushed myself off the fridge, absolutely stunned that he would say that to me.

"What?" I questioned. Everyone turned to look at me, different emotions on all of their faces. Dani and Kaz looked just plain confused for their part, Alivia and Alan were both frowning, and Spotlight had his eyebrows furrowed, thinking.

"You're working with the Annihilator?" He questioned. I shook my head.

"What, no!" I retorted. He didn't look convinced. "I swear, I'm not the mole!"

"I know it's you, Oliver." Blaylock accused me. "I searched every locker in Mighty Med, and guess what I found in yours?"

"I give up." "No idea." Again, Kaz and Dani proved how absolutely useless they were at trying to help.

"You didn't even try!" Blaylock exclaimed before pulling out a strange device out of his pocket. It looked like an injector of some sort, with green liquid in vials that were attached to it, but I had no idea what it was really for. "I found this device. You use this to turn superheroes evil."  
"That's not mine." I told him, dead serious.

"Then how'd it get in your locker?" Alivia asked softly, looking at me. I could see the conflict on her face, my friend torn between believing me, and believing one of the heroes she'd been taught to listen to her whole life.

"I have no idea. Someone must be trying to frame me!" I insisted, trying to think. The only people who knew my locker combination were Kaz and Dani (they'd read it in my journal the last time they stole it), Alivia (I'd asked her to grab me a book from it one time) and Skylar (because how could I ever not trust her?), but none of them would ever betray me like this.

"Then why did I also find this? The Beginner's Guide to Turning Superheroes Evil." Blaylock held up my book.

"That is my book, but I was reading it to figure out who the mole is." I explained. Blaylock didn't believe me for a second.

"Alan wasn't even in Mighty Med when the crimes occurred, and he's not smart enough to have done this." He told me. "The boy is dumb as dirt."

"Thank you." Alan smiled, glad that someone believed him to be innocent. Then he frowned. "Hey!"  
"And how do you explain this confession signed by you?" Blaylock held up a slip of paper. Dani snatched it out of his hands so she and Kaz could examine it.

"Hold on, this isn't my brother's handwriting." She looked at Blaylock. Kaz nodded.

"Whoever wrote this dotted the 'i's with hearts. Oliver dots his 'i's with stars." He agreed.

"Yeah, because stars are cool." I explained, almost chuckling at Alivia's bemused expression. "Hearts are for girls."

"Right." She agreed sarcastically. She reached for the paper. Dani handed it to her, and the red head looked it over with a careful eye. "Oliver's right." She announced after a moment, looking at Blaylock as if she expected him to argue with her. "Someone did plant this stuff in his locker."

"Please, just give us some time to clear his name." Dani pleaded with the agent. Kaz nodded, looking just as desperate as she did. Blaylock looked at my friends, considering it.

"I'll tell you what." He said after a long moment. "Since it's time for my end-of-the-day nap, I'll give you till I wake up. So you have 12 hours."

"Thank you." Kaz told him. Blaylock turned to leave, then pointed at Spotlight.

"Keep an eye on him." He ordered.

"Yes sir." Spotlight agreed readily, giving me a suspicious look. Blaylock nodded and left.

"So, where do we start?" Alivia questioned, looking at us.

 **Kaz's POV**

"No! Absolutely not!" Alivia practically shouted, glaring daggers at us.

"Gem…" Spotlight tried to intervene, but she was having none of it.

"No! No!" She looked at us. "No. That's final."

"Geminus." Dani cleared her throat. "Look, the mole is targeting injured superheroes in the hospital, and Spark is the only one we have at the moment."

"You are not using my girlfriend as bait!" Alivia snapped.

"Look, she's already going to be a target, especially since, with her healing, her arm's going to be fine in a couple of days." I reasoned. "So, either way, she's in danger. At least this way, we can use it to catch the traitor in the act, and prove Oliver innocent."

"If everything goes as planned, Spark will be perfectly fine." Oliver agreed.

"IF everything goes as planned, which, when it comes to you three, it never does." She pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm here. It's not like it'll just be a bunch of Normos." Spotlight added. "And you, as many of you as you'd like, will have eyes on her. It'll be fine."

Alivia hesitated, obviously hating the plan, but aware of its logic. She looked pointedly at me, as this was my idea. "If anything goes wrong, you're dead to me."

"Yes m'am." I agreed. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"Let's get this over with." She muttered, stalking past us. I grimaced, feeling the anger and frustration radiate off her. I couldn't blame her – if I'd be in her shoes, there's no way I'd ever agree to it.

"Okay, so we'll set up a camera, and we'll videotape the mole trying to turn her evil." Dani decided, pulling out her phone. "On the counter, you think?"

"Yeah, but don't make it obvious." Oliver added.

"Kay." She agreed, heading over to the ER counter while Kaz, Spotlight, and I approached Jaime. She was lying in one of the beds in the ER, Alivia sitting on the side of it. Judging by the expression on her face, Alivia had told her the plan and she didn't like it.

"This is not a good plan." Jaime, always straight to the point. "It's way too dangerous, and I'm not okay with it."

"We figured you'd say that." Oliver sighed. He gave Alivia a pointed look, and she stepped back, her jaw tight. "And you're way too important to us for us to risk-" While she was distracted, Oliver grabbed a mask off a nearby cart, and forced it over her mouth. I flicked on the gas the moment he did, and it worked almost instantly, Jaime falling unconscious in seconds. "Wow, that really knocked her out."

"Yeah, what's in there? Geometry?" I joked, smirking at Alivia in an attempt to put her mind at ease, while Dani gently restrained Jaime. We wanted her to look as helpless as possible to get the mole to reveal themselves.

"Now, we just need to get everyone else out of here." Spotlight reminded us.

"I got this." Oliver told us, before clearing his throat and turning to the bustling nurses and busy doctors throughout the room. "Attention! Everyone, clear the area! A toxic chemical may have been released accidentally."

Not a single person reacted to this news, all of them carrying on as if they hadn't heard them. "This is how it's done, Ollie-pop." Dani commented teasingly, before saying very loudly, "Attention! Everyone, there is white cheddar cheese popcorn in the break room!"

In seconds, the room had cleared, everyone wanted a handful of the non-existent white cheddar popcorn. We all followed them out into the hall, making sure no one else came our way.

"I hope this works. This is my only chance to clear my name." Oliver mumbled. "Which, by the way, is Oliver. Because unlike you, I don't keep secrets."

"Okay, why are you giving us such a hard time about this?" I demanded. "There are plenty of things that you haven't told us."

"Like what?" Oliver challenged.

"Like the fact that you're afraid of elbows." Dani accused.

"They're so wrinkly!" Her brother snapped defensively. "And how do you know that?"

"We read it in your feelings journal." I replied. He looked at us, annoyed.

"That stuff is supposed to be secret!" He exclaimed.

"Aha! See? I thought friends weren't supposed to keep secrets from each other." I pointed out. "That's why I read your feelings journal, to keep you from being a bad friend."

Oliver opened his mouth to object, but couldn't think of a way to do so. "How did I end up losing this argument?"

Dani laughed in amusement, giving me a high-five. And if our hands clasped together for a moment too long, Oliver didn't notice. "Stop! It's not funny! Stop it."

Suddenly, we heard strange noises coming from the ER. Alivia raced ahead of us, but froze in the doorway. "No."

Jaime was the only one in the room, but the girl was awake, and clearly not happy. But not the usual, I-can-not-believe-you-knocked-me-out unhappiness, but the I-am-going-to-end-your-life unhappiness. She was glaring at us with pure hatred in her eyes, the gold accents of her uniform having turned white while we were gone. She was evil, just like Surge, and Tecton, and Neocortex. "No." Alivia's fists tightened. "You promised!"

"Once we find out who the mole is, we can force them to reverse this!" Kaz insisted. Dani raced past him to grab her phone off the counter. She replayed the video, her brown furrowing in confusion. "Who is it?"

"Uh…Ollie?" She held out the phone to us for us to see. The video showed Oliver's face in front of the camera, smirking.

" _You may be wondering who turned Spark evil. Well, look no further!"_ He announced pleasantly. " _It was yours truly, Oliver!"_

"What?" Spotlight frowned. "But you were with us the entire time."

"It was you!" Alan exclaimed. We turned to see the shapeshifter standing behind us, eyes locked on Dani's phone screen. "I solved the crime!"

"Alan, no!" Dani shook her head at him, but he was too caught up in his 'success' to care.

"See? I'm not as dumb as dirt! Dirt couldn't have figured this out!" He exclaimed. "I'm going to go tell Agent Blaylock."

"Alan! Don't!" Oliver pleaded with him. "I'm innocent!"

But the kid was already racing down the hall, towards the rec room, where he could use the emergency call system to have my best friend arrested. Oliver, Dani, Spotlight, and I tore after him, trying to catch him before he could get to him. Thankfully, not only was Spotlight fairly athletic, but he also had ridiculously long legs, and was able to catch up with him in no time.

"Hold on, little man." He grabbed Alan by the shoulders and pinned him to the wall. He wasn't careful or gentle, sure, but he wasn't particularly rough with the kid either. "You're not going to go tell anyone anything."

"Why not?" Alan retorted, struggling to get away.

"Because, Spark is now evil, and I know it wasn't Oliver fault, and accusing him of something like this is only going to make things harder for everyone, especially Geminus, who I know you actually like." Spotlight tightened his grip a bit. "So, because she's your only friend – and don't deny it, we all know she's the only person nice to you in the whole superhero world – you're going to come with me back to the ER and help me deal with Spark for her. And then you're going to keep your mouth shut until we find the real mole, got it?"

Alan hesitated. "I'm not helping you with anything." He mumbled, but the moment Spotlight let him go, he headed back in the direction of the ER.

"Need any help?" Dani offered to Spotlight as we watched Alan walk away. The older boy shook his head.

"Nah, I got this. But you guys need to figure out who this mole is, and how to fix Spark." He ordered.

"On it." I agreed. He walked away, heading towards the ER.

"How did the mole get past us?" Dani questioned. "No one could have gotten into the ER without us knowing."

"I don't know." Oliver sighed. He looked defeated.

"Hey," I patted him on the shoulder, "we have a few more hours before Blaylock comes for you. We'll figure it out."

"How?" He questioned. I thought about it.

"We'll go back to my whiteboard and narrow down our options. I mean, if Tecton was the first hero turned evil-"

"He was the first we know about." Dani corrected. I nodded.

"Yeah, but every hero that was turned after that is a victim, just like Spark. We should be able to eliminate most of the possibilities, and then we'll interrogate whoever's left until we know for sure." I suggested. They both looked at me.

"That was a very good plan, Kaz." Oliver commented, almost sounded suspicious. I didn't blame him; it was weird to hear those words come out of my mouth. But hey, the Annihilator's mole went after Jaime and hurt Alivia; no one gets to do that to my friends.

"C'mon." I led them towards the rec room. To my surprise, we could hear Blaylock's voice coming from inside.

"You planted that evidence in Oliver's locker to frame him!" He accused. We all looked at each other, wide eyed. Had Blaylock actually found the mole?

We raced towards the door, then, realizing that it could be dangerous to just burst in, Dani slowly pushed the door open a crack. It wasn't big enough for us to be seen, but just large enough for us to see who Agent Blaylock was accusing of being the spy. And man, were we in for a surprise.

"No…" Oliver's heart broke with that single word, his eyes unable to leave the scene before us. I was frozen in shock, while Dani's hands had flown up to her mouth, clamped over it as she stared in horror.

"Well, you got me. I'm the mole." Skylar, our Skylar Storm, rolled her eyes, not amused. "Aren't you the clever one?"

"Actually, my older brother is the clever one. He went to MIT." Blaylock retorted. "I'm just a glorified security guard."

"Too bad I'm going to have to destroy all evidence that points back to me." Skylar continued.

"You think you're going to get away with this?" Blaylock questioned. Some part of my mind begged Skylar to laugh and say it was some sort of joke, or that she was trying to track down the mole herself, but she simply smirked arrogantly.

"You'll never stop me and the Annihilator. Especially if you keep taking 12-hour naps." She told him, her tone cocky. "And if you're a statue."

"Of course I couldn't stop you if I were a statue. That's obvious." Blaylock sounded so confused. "Why would you even use an example like that?"

"Don't." Dani breathed, obviously seeing where this was going. "Skylar, don't."

"You're about to turn me into a statue, aren't you?" Blaylock realized, but it was too late. I think all three of us stopped breathing the moment Skylar raised her right hand, an icy cold look in her eyes, and turned him to stone. She didn't even spare him a second glance before creating a space portal and walking away.

"Oh my gosh." Dani looked at me, her eyes as wide as saucers. "I can't believe it. Skylar's the mole."

"No. No." Oliver shook his head, obviously in denial. "No, this is just some bad dream, and I'm going to wake up from it any second."

"I don't think so, man." I told him gently, seeing the absolute shock in his eyes. None of us saw this coming, least of all him.

"Ollie." Dani took her brother's hand, a worried look on her face.

"What do we do?" His voice was rough. I didn't like it, but I had the answer.

'We have to tell the League of Heroes that Skylar is working with the Annihilator." I stated. I started towards the emergency call system, but Oliver stopped me.

"We can't." He insisted. "For all we know, she's already turned the entire League evil. We don't know who we can trust anymore."

We were all quiet for a long time, letting that sink in. Skylar was evil, possibly everyone we could to for help was already working with her, and we were on our own.

 **Kihonne: Okay, I know I changed a lot about that last scene, but I was running low on time, and this way I could work in the Spotlight stuff better too. Anyway, let me know what you guys think. Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few of weeks:**

 **October 14** **th** **: The Claw Prank Redemption**

 **October 24** **th** **: Storm's End**

 **October 31** **st** **: Future Tense**

 **Anyway, don't forget to review, and I'll see you all in a few days!**


	22. The Claw Prank Redemption

**Kihonne: Hey guys, sorry about the late update. But between midterms and assignments, it's been pretty busy. The good news is, though, that midterms are over, so my schedule is no longer as hectic. Anyway, I'm not going to waste anymore of your time, so here are the shoutouts!**

 **Xxx**

 **LabGirl2001: I know. I loved him in all the roles I saw him as – Kirby was my favorite though, hands down. Yes, Dani and Kaz's relationship is a dilemma, but what's a good relationship without a few bumps along the way? They're keeping it a secret for now, until they figure out how to have their relationship and not leave Oliver out, but you are right – he will be mad when he finds out. But don't worry – they'll figure it out.**

 **FangirlIsh13: He was such an amazing actor, and I LOVED Suite Life on Deck, especially Kirby. He will be missed for a very, very long time. Well, Oliver won't be too thrilled when he finds out, but he'll forgive them…eventually. As for Skoliver, while I will be hinting at them pretty heavily, I think I'm going to actually wait to get them together until Elite Force. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **PiLot guest: Thanks for understanding, and it sucks that you had to get braces the day after your birthday. I think I got mine a couple of days after my 12** **th** **birthday – my mom figured it would be easier for me to get used to them while I was off from school for March break – and I hated it. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the chapter, and Dani's real name (Danielle and Danielle are just so over-used) and I hope you like this chapter too.**

 **Avaoreo1112: I'm glad you liked it, especially the parts with Spotlight. I actually plan for him to have a fairly interesting role in the future – can't say much yet without spoiling certain things, sorry, but I think people are going to like it. I am curious – what five season series did you binge? I've got next week off from classes and I'm looking to binge a series I haven't seen yet, so if it's good enough to watch five seasons of, I might be interested in it. Anyway, I hope you like the chapter!**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Skylar: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **xxx**

 **Kaz's POV**

"I can't believe Skylar's evil."

I swear, since we'd discovered our friend's secret, that phrase had become Oliver's catchphrase. It had been less than fourteen hours, and I think he called me at least two dozen times throughout the night so that he'd have someone to despair to. And now, here we were, at school, and he still couldn't wrap his mind around it.

"I-" He went to say it again as we walked into the school, but Dani let out a frustrated noise and clamped her hand over his mouth.

"Can't believe Skylar's evil, we know." She said coolly before removing her hand. I gave him a look.

"I couldn't sleep at all last night after finding out that she's evil now." I complained. "Mostly because you kept calling me every five minutes to remind me that she was."

"At least you could turn your phone off. He kept knocking on the wall between our bedrooms every five minutes, and that's something pretty damn hard to ignore." Dani grumbled. She was about to say something more, but instead she paused, a surprised look on her face. "Hey Alan."

I turned around to see Alan standing behind us, looking around the school curiously. He had a backpack slung over his shoulder, and I was pretty sure he was wearing a new sweater vest. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, since I'm half-Normo, I figured I'd go to school to embrace my Normo roots." He explained. We all exchanged uneasy looks. "I bet I'll be the most popular kid here, if I can keep my temper somewhat in check."

I scoffed. "You'll never be able to keep your temper in check."

"I SAID SOMEWHAT IN CHECK!" He snapped at me. "I also spent the weekend watching high school movies for research so I've got this whole thing figured out. Now, what time do the students break into song and dance for no apparent reason?"

I frowned, wondering where he would have gotten that idea, then I turned to Dani, raising an eyebrow. "Well, it's not like you guys will watch those movies with me!" She defended herself, face going red a bit.

"Alan, that doesn't happen in real high school." Oliver told him, just as Gus and a few students from the glee club walked out onto the stair landing.

"We're Logan High, we are the Lancers! Put down the book, and join us dancers!" They sang, dancing down the stairs and leading a group of followers into a nearby hallway. We all stared at them in surprise.

"I told you those movies were real!" Dani exclaimed, beaming at her brother. Alan smirked snidely at us.

"And you wonder why you're not popular." He commented before racing after them. "Hey, wait for me!"

"Hey, class is going to start in ten minutes." Oliver commented, looking around. "And I still don't see our favorite red-head."

"She's still not answering my calls." Dani worried. "If she's not here by second period, I'm going to go look for her."

"Good idea." I agreed, a little worried about her. We'd gone to find her after the whole Skylar thing, but she'd already left the hospital, and after what happened to Jaime, we were all a little concerned that the Irish girl would do something reckless.

"So what are we gonna do about Skylar?" Dani eventually questioned. Oliver sighed.

"I don't know, but we cannot let her find out that we know she's evil, or we'll end up as statues like Blaylock.'

"No, I cannot become a statue." I agreed quickly. "You know I get antsy if I stand around in one spot for too long."

"Hey, guys." We all jumped at least a foot in the air, shocked to find that Skylar had snuck up on us.

"Skylar!" Oliver laughed nervously. "I'm surprised to see you at school now they have your powers back and can fight for life, liberty and justice. But mostly life."

"Oh, I just have a few things here that I need to tie up." The Calderan explained with a wave of her hand. I looked at her, horrified.

"Like hostages?" I demanded. She frowned at me.

"Ignore him; he's just tired." Dani excused my behavior for me. Skylar shrugged it off, thankfully.

"Actually, there's something that I need to do." She replied. She looked at us, well mainly Oliver, seriously. "This is really hard for me-"

"Then don't do it." Oliver interrupted her. "That's always the best policy. In fact, if I had a sneaker company, that would be its slogan. 'Just Don't Do It'."

"My God." Dani muttered under her breath. Man, Oliver needed to get better at this.

"But if I don't do it now, then I never will." Skylar took a deep breath. Oliver winced, readying himself. 'Oliver, would you like to go to the school dance with me tonight?"

Well, I'm fairly certain that none of us expected that to come out of her mouth. Dani and I stared at her in absolute shock, while Oliver's wince fell into a smile.

"Of course, I would love to go to the dance with you." He replied cheerfully. Skylar beamed at him.

"Great! This dance is going to be so much fun!" She exclaimed. "I'm going to go pick up my dress. When you see it, you are going to die!"

She skipped away cheerfully, pleased with herself. Meanwhile, Dani and I turned to Oliver.

"Have you lost your mind?" Dani demanded, staring at him.

"You can't go to the dance with Skylar!" I exclaimed. "You might as well go with Megahertz."

"First of all, Megahertz wouldn't look nearly as good in a party dress." Oliver told us, dead serious. "And second, he didn't invite me; Skylar did."

"You're letting your feelings for Skylar cloud your judgement." Dani stated harshly.

"Actually, I'm starting to think Skylar isn't a villain after all." Oliver retorted defensively. Okay, yeah. He's definitely lost his mind.

"She turned Agent Blaylock to stone. She turned Jaime evil." Dani frowned, trying to follow her brother's train of thought and failing to do so.

"Yeah, but for all we know, Agent Blaylock could have been evil, and she was just trying to stop him. As for Jaime, we didn't actually see her even go near her so…" He shrugged. "Besides, if Skylar was evil, why didn't she just explode me on the spot instead of inviting me to the dance?"

"Skylar probably didn't want to raise suspicion. And besides, Skylar asking you to the dance is the biggest proof yet that she's a villain. A pretty girl asking you on a date? You? Does that really make sense to you?"

"I'll have you know that I've been called 'unconventionally handsome' before." Oliver retorted, offended. Dani looked at him.

"Yeah, by Mom." She pointed out.

"Who said it is not important!" Oliver snapped. "Look, I know Skylar better than anyone, and I'm telling you, she's not evil. I can sense it."

"You can sense it?" Dani questioned incredulously.

"No, no. It's fine." I assured her before looking at Oliver. "I'll just have to prove you wrong."

"How?" Oliver questioned.

"I'm gonna go down to Mighty Max, spy on the Annihilator, and get proof that Skylar is evil." I decided, smirking. Oh, this was going to be fun.

"And how do you plan on getting into Mighty Max?" Oliver inquired. Dani nodded.

"They tightened security like crazy, Kaz." She agreed. "And you can't tell anyone why you're going, because we don't know who we can trust."

"Don't worry." I smirked charmingly at her. "I've already figured out a way in."

 **Xxx**

"Well, this is a terrible idea." Dani commented, crossing her arms. I glanced down at my outfit – a long black coat and a black mask.

"Well, I think it's a great idea." I replied, adjusting my jacket. I glanced at her. "You going to the dance?"

"Someone's got to keep an eye on Ollie." She sighed. I smirked.

"You wearing a dress?" I asked. Dani was practically allergic to them, but then again, it was a dance…

"Maybe. You'll just have to show up to find out." She smirked at me seductively before glancing her phone. "Oh, crap. I've gotta go or I'm going to miss second period too."

"I'll see you later, then." I told her as she walked away. She sent me a smile over her shoulder as she left. I took a deep breath, smiled to myself, and stepped out into a hallway full of busy nurses and doctors. "Listen up everyone! I'm the villain uh No-Name and I'm here to destroy you all and there's no way I can be stopped!"

Philip looked at me. "Stop." He said simply.

"Okay, I give up." I replied, holding out my hands. Philip put my hands in handcuffs, then looked at me, one hand reaching behind his back.

"Why are you so shocked?" He questioned. I frowned, confused.

"I'm not shocked." I replied. He smirked, and suddenly, and blast of electricity flew through my system, every muscle in my body locking up at once. I groaned, feeling the lighting course through my body. Trust me, it wasn't pleasant.

"You are now." He smirked, tazing me again before I could recover from the first hit. "I love my new job."

 **Xxx**

"Hey, since I'm super evil, you should probably lock me up with someone who's just as evil as I am." I commented as Philip led me through Mighty Max. "Like the Annihilator. That would really teach me a lesson."

"Well, if that would make you happy…" Philip trailed off, before smirking. "Then forget it!"

I sighed audibly, though I already knew it wouldn't work. "Get in there." He told me, pushing me into a large cell with two tall men already inside. I stumbled as he pushed me, just as the men turned around to face me.

"Well, well, well." I paled, recognizing both Wallace and Clyde. No! This wouldn't work if thet recognized me! "Seems like we have ourselves a new roommate."

"Wait, you look familiar." Wallace hummed. "Do we know you from somewhere?"

"Um…" I froze.

"Let's play Villain Geography." Clyde suggested. "Where did you go to camp?"

"Uh you don't know me." I lied. "I'm the villain, No-Name. Not a teenage boy you'd see just about every day at a comic book store."

"Huh." They seemed to buy it. Wallace frowned at me. "So what are you in for?"

"Whatever would scare you the most, that's what I did!" I replied quickly. Their eyes widened.

"You tore one of those 'do not remove' tags off a mattress?!" They gasped. I nodded, going with it.

"Ripped it right off!" I shouted proudly.

"You monster!" "Please don't hurt us!" They cried.

"Fine, I won't hurt you, if you tell me everything you've heard in here about the Annihilator." I added the last bit, trying to sound threatening. They nodded quickly.

"Okay, we overheard him in the cafeteria." Wallace told us. Clyde scowled bitterly.

"Of course, he sits at the cool villains' table." He added. Wallace ignored him.

"Anyway, he's working with someone in Mighty Med and you're never gonna guess who." Wallace continued.

"Who?" I questioned, already suspecting the answer. And, of course, I was right.

"Skylar Storm." Clyde told me. Wallace smacked him in the arm.

"I was talking to him!" He snapped. Clyde glared at him.

"This is why we don't sit at the cool table."

 **Oliver's POV**

"Oh, hey, Skylar." I grinned as the said girl walked up to me. "I was thinking we should arrive at the dance looking cool, so I asked my mom drive us in the nice minivan."

"I'm way ahead of you." Skylar told me, smiling prettily. "I ordered us a stretch limo."

"Really? Awesome!" I grinned. "My mom will be disappointed, but, awesome!"

"What do you think?" Skylar asked me, showing me a picture of her limo. I stared at it, recognizing it as a funeral hearse. "Fancy, huh?"

"That's a hearse," I told her. She looked at me, not sure what the problem was. "For a funeral," I added. Still, she gave me that confused look. "For dead people."

"I don't think so." She replied, looking back at the picture. "See? In the back, there's a disco ball."

"That's a bone saw." I stated. She looked back at the photo.

"Huh." She shrugged. "Anyway, I thought we'd go out to dinner first."

"Sure, sounds great." I replied, trying to shake the photo of the hearse out of my mind. Skylar nodded, smiling.

"What would you pick to eat if you could only have one last meal, because you knew that it was your final night on Earth?" She questioned. I gulped, staring at her. Thankfully, my sister came to my rescue.

"Ollie?" She stepped out of school, one hand holding her phone to chest. "Sorry guys, but I kinda need to borrow my brother for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure." I readily agreed. I sent Skylar an apologetic look before following my sister into the school. "Thanks."

"No problem." She told me. She glanced out the window to make sure Skylar wasn't able to hear us, then held out the phone. "Alright Kaz, I got him."

"Oliver?" My best friend's voice came from the phone. "Okay, I only got one phone call and it can only last three minutes. I was wrong about Skylar. She isn't going to kill us."

"Thank goodness." I sighed in relief. "I was starting to think you guys were right."

"Let him finish." Dani advised me.

"Turns out she's only gonna kill you." Kaz added. "Tonight, at the dance."

I froze, shocked. Not only was Skylar evil, but she was specifically targeting me? "I don't understand.  
Why is Skylar gonna destroy me and not you? I pretend to listen to her feelings for hours!"

"Maybe the Annihilator thinks that if we all end up dead, it will look too suspicious." Dani suggested thoughtfully. "So I guess he's going after you."

"Hey, buddy, don't feel left out." A voice in the background said.

"Yeah, you're gonna be blown to bits when the Annihilator completely wipes out the entire city on Sunday." A third voice agreed.

"Sunday? Why not Monday?" The second voice questioned.

"Yeah, no one likes Mondays." The third voice commented. Dani and I frowned.

"Kaz, was that Wallace and Clyde?" My sister questioned.

"Yeah, long story." He replied.

"There's got to be something we could do." I worried.

"Well, my sources tell me there is one way to stop Skylar and that's with true love's kiss." Kaz told me. "And since you truly love her, that means a kiss from you."

I froze, caught off guard. "What? Are you saying that if I kiss Skylar, it will break the Annihilator's spell and make her not evil?"

On one hand, I wanted my first kiss with Skylar to be special, and this sure wasn't. But on the other hand, this might be my only chance to ever kiss Skylar, so…

"No. That's crazy." Of course Kaz had to burst my bubble. "I'm saying that if you kiss her, she'll die."

"What?" Dani questioned, eyebrows raising in surprise.

"No, no, no." I shook my head, refusing the idea on the spot. "There's got to be some other way."

Kaz paused. "Is there any other way?" He asked, his voice sounding muffled, as if his hand was over the phone. A second later, his voice cleared. "Afraid not."

"C'mon." Dani sighed.

"Look, man…you have to do it, or she'll destroy the city and take out millions of people." Kaz told me. There was a reluctant edge to his voice, but it was clear and without hesitation. "You're the only one in the position to stop her."

"You don't have a choice, Ollie." Dani looked at me, eyes wide. I gulped back the lump in my throat, then nodded slowly.

"I guess you're right." I agreed, despite myself. This was the last thing I wanted to do, but I had to do it.

 **Kaz's POV**

"If it makes you feel any better, if you ever kissed Skylar, she'd probably die of embarrassment anyway." I said over the phone to Oliver, trying to make him feel better. This was a no-win situation; either we lose our friend, or the world gets destroyed. Neither option was favorable, but we had to do what we had to do.

"Yeah, okay." I heard Oliver sigh. There was a long pause before Dani came back onto the phone.

"Get back here, please?" She requested. "If Skylar really…Ollie's gonna need us."

"Yeah, I'll get out as soon as I can." I promised her, just as my three minutes ended.

"Huh." Wallace hummed thoughtfully from behind me. "Uh, yeah, you know, hearing you repeat that true love's kiss thing out loud, I think we're misremembering something."

"Yeah, the Annihilator didn't say that." Clyde agreed. "That was the plot of Sleeping Beauty."

"Well, no biggie." Wallace shrugged. I stared at them.

"What?! Yes biggie!" I insisted.

"Fine." Clyde sighed, thinking. "The Annihilator said that he gave Skylar the ability to drain the life force out of people with her mouth."

I stared at them, mind racing. "So if she kisses your friend, your friend will die." Wallace confirmed it. "How did we confuse that with Sleeping Beauty?"

"Wake with a kiss, die with a kiss." Clyde shrugged. "They're kind of similar."

"They're very similar." Wallace agreed. I shook my head at them, then jumped to my feet and ran to the edge of the cell. Philip stood guard outside, clutching his weapon tightly.

"Philip, I need to make another phone call." I told him desperately. I needed to warn Oliver before it was too late. Philip just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I've heard that one before." He replied.

"It's true!" Wallace agreed.

"We also needed to make another phone call." Clyde added loudly from behind me. I ignored him.

"No, you don't understand. I'm not actually a villain." I pleaded with him. "It's me, Kaz."

"Oh, I've heard that one before." Philip sounded bored now.

"It's true." Clyde agreed.

"We also said that we were Kaz." Wallace added. I groaned in frustration. I needed to get out of here.

 **Skylar's POV**

Dinner was a bad idea, I realized much later. I don't know why I suggested it – maybe because I felt bad about what I was about to do to Oliver and I wanted his last night to be special – I even spent a hundred bucks on this dress, one I would probably never wear again – but the entire night was awkward and weird. For me, at least. I don't know about him.

So when he disappeared the second we entered the school gym, with the excuse of checking in with his sister who'd come without a date, I hardly objected to it. But after about twenty minutes, I knew I had to go back and find him.

When I found them, they were clearly arguing about something, but purposefully keeping their voices low. Though I couldn't quite hear what they were saying – the number of people in the gym made it hard to focus my super hearing – it was clear that Dani was telling him something he didn't like. "Hey guys," I greeted, walking up to them. They both stopped their discussion immediately, watching me like hawks.

"Hey…" They greeted.

"Where's Kaz?" I inquired, looking around. It was already going to be difficult enough to take Oliver out, but Dani's presence would make it impossible. I looked around for the black-haired boy, knowing that he was usually a fairly good distraction for the girl.

"I don't know. I'm going to go find him." Dani put her hand on her brother's arm. "See you later?"

"Yeah." He mumbled, watching her go. He glanced at me, sent me a quick smile, then grabbed a plastic cup and filled it with punch. "Want some?"

"Sure." I took it from him, sipping at it. I could feel butterflies in my stomach, but not because of the date, but because this was the last place I wanted to be. I knew that I was evil, but I didn't want Oliver to die. I love him…like a friend, I thought. I didn't want there to be any confusion in case anyone here can read my mind. And if there is, I want them to know that I'm not evil.

"Uh, Skylar?" Oliver cleared his throat, looking at me. "Listen…Things are gonna be different now that you have your powers back, and I just want you to know that whatever happens I'll never forget you."

I smiled and hoped that Oliver couldn't see how bittersweet it was. "I won't forget you either."

And suddenly, I just couldn't do this. Because he was Oliver and he was kind and sweet and naïve and he completely trusted me, and no matter how evil I was, I just couldn't do this if there was another option. "Uh, would you excuse me? I think I need to go sit down…on a toilet."

I didn't wait to see if he had believed my excuse, instead heading into the girl's washroom. After making sure the coast was clear, I created wormhole and stepped through it, landing in the Annihilator's lair at Mighty Max. He looked surprised to see me back here so soon, but didn't comment on it. "Is it done? Did you finish off Oliver?"

"What, no 'hello'? No 'how was the dance'?" I questioned. Just because he was evil didn't mean he had to be rude. "Listen, I've been thinking. Oliver's not a threat to us, so I don't need to get rid of him."

"I gave you an order!" The Annihilator snapped. I looked at him.

"But Oliver doesn't know anything." I insisted. "He's not dangerous. Except when he dances. Arms everywhere!"

"Those three keep interfering with my plans," He started. I cut him off.

"Why Oliver? Even if he found out about us, he's not able to do anything. Kaz and Dani, they're the reckless ones, they're the ones that would start a fight. I can take one of them out instead." I didn't particularly want to kill one of them either, but at least Kaz was generally annoying and Dani was kinda whiny sometimes, so it wouldn't be as bad.

"Oliver's making you weak and sentimental." The Annihilator told me, a hint of a growl in his voice. "So finish him, or I'll finish you and then him."

I gulped, and let my need for self-preservation push my personal attachments out of the way. "Fine." I reluctantly agreed. The Annihilator nodded approvingly as I re-opened my wormhole.

"Have fun." He told me. "Make evil choices."

 **Kaz's POV**

I glanced at the watch on my wrist, gritting my teeth in frustration. The dance had started almost a half hour ago; for all I knew, I could already be too late. "Philip, please!" I begged the guard. "I need to use that phone again!"

But he wouldn't give it back. "You can't, Not Kaz, because it's broken." He lied. I frowned at him.

"No, it's not. I just used it." I reminded him. Philip raised an eyebrow at that, then slammed the phone down on the ground and stomped on it.

"It is now." He said pointedly. He smirked. "I love my new job."

I looked at the phone in despair. "Philip, you have to believe me, I'm Kaz." I begged him. "And I know that somewhere inside that giant head of yours is a shred of common sense."

Philip paused, listening to me for the first time today. "So please, let me out. I have to get to Oliver." I continued desperately. "His life is at stake."

"You said all I needed to hear." Philip told me, opening the cell just long enough for me to climb out. I looked at him, surprised.

"Really?" I didn't think he cared all that much about Oliver. He nodded.

"You said that my head was giant. Only the real Kaz would know how much that means to me." I would? "Thank you."

"No, thank you." I didn't waste another second, rushing towards the exit as fast as my legs could carry me.

 **XXX**

I raced into the school, ducking past the guy taking people's coats. To my surprise, there was a number of people standing in the hall, including a very frazzled looking Alan, a laughing Jordan, and a very good-looking Dani. She was actually wearing a dress for once – I hadn't seen her in one since picture day in the third grade. It didn't have sleeves, showing off her arms, and went down to just above her knees, but the coolest thing about it was that the entire dress looked like it was made out of different comic books. "Damn, girl." I whistled, making her laugh a little.

"You made it." She smiled. "Should have come earlier, Kaz. You missed it."

"Oliver already kissed Skylar?" I demanded. To my relief, she shook her head.

"No, Alan got caught in Gus and Jordan's prank war. There was a giant claw from those claw games and everything." She told me, amused. I fought the urge to smirk at the image in my head.

"Where's Oliver?" I demanded. Dani frowned, but led me into the school gym, where Oliver and Skylar were slow dancing, both of them still alive. But it was clear that the two were leaning in for the kiss as we spoke.

"What's going on?" Dani questioned.

"If he kissed Skylar, he's going to die." I told her. She stared at me, but I didn't have time to explain. "We have to stop them."

I went to run onto the dance floor to interrupt them – I had no idea what I was going to say, but I was good on my feet, so I figured I'd just wing it – but before I could, there was a very pissed shout from the hallway.

"WHAT?!" I recognized Alan's voice immediately. "I can't take it anymore! Aaah!"

Before either Dani or I could question it, there was a scream, then a high-pitched squeal. The doors to the gym opened up and a large pig wearing a sweater vest charged in, racing onto the dance floor in a panic. The pig ran through the crowd of the dancers, all the couples splitting up, including Oliver and Skylar.

"Pig-man to the rescue?" Dani joked, the relief evident on her face.

We watched as Skylar fled the room, not looking back as she ran towards the exit. "Skylar!" Oliver called after her.

"Ollie, wait!" Dani grabbed him arm. He looked at us, confused.

"We need to stop her." He reminded us.

"There's something you need to know." I told him grimly.

 **Skylar's POV**

I let out a sigh of relief, hitting my back against the exterior wall of the school. All I'd needed was one excuse, one measly reason to get out of that, and that pig had given me it. Thank you random pig wearing a sweater vest. I could still remember that look on Oliver's face before I ran, and that imaged cemented the feeling that I'd done the right thing. Oliver could be useful to me in the future, I reasoned, trying to stay away from the emotional side of things, and I was starting to get a little tired of listening to the Annihilator.

I took a deep breath, calming myself, and created a wormhole into the Annihilator's cell. I stepped through, putting on a mask of seriousness. "Is it done?" The Annihilator questioned, just as he had before. I nodded.

"It's done." I lied. "Oliver's dead."

"Excellent." He was pleased. "Wait till they hear about this at the cool villains' table."

 **Kaz's POV**

"You guys were right. I did let my feelings for Skylar cloud my judgement." Oliver sighed. He looked at us. "So I was this close to dying?"

"Yup." Dani popped the P sound at the end. "But that's what we get for getting information from Wallace and Clyde."

Yeah, maybe they weren't the most reliable sources out there. "Pretty much your inability to get any woman to ever kiss you actually saved your life. You should be grateful you're not irresistible." I joked. I glanced at Dani and smirked. "I would be so dead."

I bit back a groan as she hit me in the ribs, a half-hearted glared on her face. "Look, we have to figure out how to stop Skylar and the Annihilator from destroying the city." She told us.

"Or we could just move to New York." I suggested. Oliver considered it.

"I do love bagels." He agreed. Dani chuckled.

"Yeah, but all the cool superheroes are here. New York's boring." She complained.

"We could go to California." I suggested, remembering the rumors I'd heard about those 'bionic' superheroes down there. Might be worth checking out sometime.

"But for now, let's try to save the city." Oliver told us. We nodded in agreement; we had to figure out a way to stop Skylar and the Annihilator before it was too late.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? Good, bad? Somewhere in between? I want to know! Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few updates:**

 **October 28** **th** **: Storm's End**

 **November 2** **nd** **: Future Tense:**

 **November 7** **th** **: Stop Bugging Me**

 **November 14** **th** **: Gus' Talk Show (Q &A)**

 **So, that's the plan for the next several updates. I know it's a bit of a gap between this update and the next, but to be fair, it is a three part chapter. The only reason I'm probably gonna be able to get it to you that early is because I've got next week off from my classes. Anyway, I'll see you guys next time!**

 **Oh, and before I forget! Have any of you guys heard of Fanfic? I don't mean the website we're on right now, I mean the documentary. It's going to be a really cool documentary about fanfiction itself, but it doesn't seem like too many people have heard of it yet. So I'm trying to get the word out! I really suggest you guys check it out!**


	23. Do You Want to Build a Lava-man?

**Kihonne: Alright guys, here's the deal: my internet sucks. For the past couple of weeks, it's been off and on, which really limited how much work I could get done on the chapters, since I need to watch the episode online as I write. So, instead of making you guys wait another week to get the combined chapters, I'm gonna give you the Do You Want to Build a Lava-Man half now, and the Storm's End half on Saturday. Sorry about the delay, but I think you're going to like the chapter, at least. Anyway, I won't waste much more of your time, and I'll get straight to the shoutouts.**

 **Xxx**

 **Labgirl2001: It's fine, I don't find your opinion rude; I asked for an honest review, after all. I admit that it wasn't as detailed as I would have liked, but when I'm working on a deadline, with multiple midterms and exams, I tend to just write based off a transcript of the episode rather than the actual footage itself. I try to avoid doing so because of the lack of detail, but sometimes I have to. Don't worry though – this chapter should have a fair bit more detail than the last. As for Liv, we're going to get to find that out this chapter. I hope you like the chapter.**

 **PiLot Guest: Hey, don't worry about it. Not only do I COMPLETELY understand the WIFI problems (been having some myself), I can't get mad at someone for not reviewing the same day I update. Everyone's got busy schedules – I can't expect everyone to read it the moment the chapter comes out, let alone have the time to leave a review. Oh, and you're going to love Gus' talk show. It sucks about the ulcers, by the way. My kid brother has a similar problem. As for Elite Force, I'm excited to, and I adore Naomi! By the way, just curious, what did you think of the finale? I want to hear other people's opinions for it so I can plan ahead on how I'm going to handle it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Avaoreo1112: I'm glad you liked it, and how the minor characters got a bigger part. I like using characters like Spotlight, too, because since they didn't have a lot of lines (or in his case, no lines at all), it allows me more freedom with the character. As for Alivia, you're going to see her soon, so you'll be caught up with everything that's happening with her. And yes, I've heard of Once Upon a Time. I've started it actually, but I'm still season one. Thanks for reminding me about it though – it's been ages since I've seen an episode. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **FangirlIsh13: I'm glad you're excited. Sorry about making you wait another few days for Storm's End, but hopefully, this chapter will be enough of a distraction for a few days. But don't worry, even though the Slylar Storm arc is ending, I'm going all out with the Mr. Terror arc. That arc is my second favorite arc in the entire Elite Force series (right behind Marcus, but who didn't love his arc, am I right?), so I'm making sure to delve into that quite a bit. I hate how they kinda just abandoned when Elite Force started, though I guess that does leave me with the option of ending it my own way ;). You're going to love it, I promise. As for Fanfic, I don't know for sure where it'll come out, but I think that it'll premier somewhere in Canada if they manage to get enough money to fund it. I know that's a vague answer, but I'm not entirely sure. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Sobreyra274: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much!**

 **ABC301: Right now, it's on hold, simply because I want to see where the DC TV series are going with their plots. Since my main OC will be Rip Hunter's daughter, the events of Legends will obviously affect her. Also, the Elite Force series is kinda taking up a lot of my time right now, since I'm busy planning ahead and stuff. If I had to guess, that fic will come out sometime in the summer, since I'll not only be wrapping up my Elite Force series fics, but I'll have enough Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow info to work with. Oh, and I'm glad you like this story and Dani's character. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Duggie Davenport: I'm glad you liked it. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: On with the chapter!**

 **Hapax the Elder: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Alivia, Dani, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Dani's POV**

"I got nothing." I commented, tossing away the comic book in my hands. We'd been here for hours, trying to find a way to stop the Annihilator, or Skylar, or both.

"We have to find a way to defeat the Annihilator." My brother muttered, going through his own stack of comics. I sighed and grabbed another one off the top of my pile, flipping through it for even a tiny mention of the Annihilator. "There's got to be something in one of these comic books about one of his weaknesses.

"Ha! I found it!" Kaz suddenly laughed. We both looked at him expectantly, but he just held up a piece of crinkled paper, with large, messy writing on it. "My third-grade math homework!"

"Really?" Ollie looked at him, annoyed, but Kaz grinned.

"Addition." He chuckled in amusement, looking at what was on the paper. "Like I'm ever going to use that in real life."

"Kaz, focus, okay? Skylar is trying to destroy me." I glanced away from my comic and noticed the large cardboard cut-out of Skylar standing nearby. I smirked and quietly got to my feet, walking over to it. "I have to constantly look over my shoulder, knowing that she could be right behind me, ready to strike."

"Like right now?" I inquired, standing behind him, holding the cardboard cutout close to his head. He turned around to reply, but leapt back when he saw the cutout, screaming in terror.

"You laugh like a girl!" Kaz teased, chuckling. I smirked, trying not to laugh at the particularly high-pitched scream.

"Yes, and I'd like to live long enough to scream like a woman." Ollie retorted, glaring at us before going back to his comic books. He paused after a moment. "Hold on. Remember this?"

He held up a pale red comic book with a picture of Annihilator on it. "Annihilator, the origin of evil." I read the title, gently taking the comic book from my brother. I slowly flipped through it, going through the pages with more care than I did the other comics.

"We read that, like, ten years ago." Kaz reminisced.

"It gave Ollie nightmares for weeks." I added.

"It did not." He retorted, but we both knew that back then, he refused to go to sleep until I gave him my nightlight.

"Uh, the Annihilator was born on earth and started exhibiting his mutant powers as a child. Everyone tormented him for being a freak, so he withdrew from society." I summarized, speed-reading through the pages. "But he didn't become truly powerful until he was discovered and trained by the legendary Hapax the Elder, a human with a similar mutation who wanted to groom him into a great superhero."

"Well, that backfired." Kaz commented dryly. I nodded, then continued.

"But the Annihilator decided to use his powers for evil, to make everyone suffer the way he had." I flipped the page, then crumpled up the loose sheet inside. "Kaz, stop leaving your homework everywhere." I muttered before moving onto the next page. "Anyway, Hapax the Elder was so upset about being betrayed that we went into a self-imposed exile on…Caldera. Skylar's home planet."

"Okay, maybe Hapax the Elder can help us stop his former apprentice." Ollie suggested.

"So we just have to go to Caldera and find him." Kaz decided. Ollie nodded.

"He's the only one who can drain the Annihilator's powers, which will turn Skylar and all the other evil superheroes good again."

"Only one problem." Kaz pointed out. "Nobody knows what Hapax the Elder looks like. And he's on another planet. And he's like 90 years old now, so we don't even know if he's still alive."

"That's three problems." Ollie pointed out. Kaz paused.

"Oh. I guess you do use addition in real life." He realized. I rolled my eyes.

"Alright, here's the plan. Ollie, since you're the best at research, you stay here and try to see if there's any more information on Hapax that will help us find him. Kaz, your job is to figure out a way to get us to Caldera."

"What are you going to do?" He questioned.

"We're going to an alien planet to try and stop one of the our world's most powerful villains. I think we could use a little backup." I replied. "Meet back at Mighty Med in one hour?"

"Got it." Ollie nodded, already pulling stacks of comic books out of the rack. Kaz and I left at the same time, but split up down the road.

 **Xxx**

Alivia's front door was locked, but I could see the light on in her bedroom, so that wasn't about to stop me. Thankfully, like most of the houses on this road, there was a large oak tree near the window, close enough for me to climb in. I scaled the tree with ease, years of sneaking into Kaz's bedroom through his window whenever he was grounded coming in handy. I perched on one of the closest branches to her room, thankful that my weight didn't make it bend or crack. I knocked on the window, keeping one hand on the thick bark. "Liv, open up!"

The red-head's face appeared in the window, but she didn't open it, instead giving me an annoyed look. "Leave." She told me, her accent crisp. I shook my head, then gripped the branch tighter when I almost lost my balance. I refused to look down, knowing that I'd fall for sure if I did.

"Not until we talk. You've missed three days of school, Liv. It's time to get off your ass and stop pouting." I told her, trying the tough love card. She just gave me an annoyed look. "Look, I need your help with something."

"The last time you said that to me, my girlfriend got turned evil." She retorted. I winced, knowing that she hadn't liked the idea in the first place, and likely blamed us. Not that she'd be wrong to – we should have figured out a different plan, one that didn't put Jaime in as much danger.

"I know. I'm sorry." I apologized sincerely. "But now I need your help to turn her good again, along with everyone else."

She hesitated. "Liv, the longer you wait, the more likely I'm going to fall and die."

She rolled her eyes, but opened her window and stepped aside for me to climb in. "It's only two stories."

"I could still break my arm or something." I muttered, climbing into the room. I looked around, having never been in here before. It was cool, with green wallpaper that matched her superhero uniform, and pictures of me, Jaime, Clone Master, Skylar, Kaz, and Ollie covering the walls.

"So, how do you propose that we turn her good again?" Alivia got right to the point, leaning against her desk and crossing her arms. I sat down on her bed.

"Hapax the Elder." I announced. That got her attention. She leaned forward, curious. "I see you've heard of him."

"Heard of him? Legend says that he trained many of the members of the original League of Heroes." She replied, amazed. "I wonder why he stopped."

"The Annihilator. He was his last apprentice." I explained. Alivia nodded thoughtfully.

"And you think that Hapax can stop him." She hummed. "That's smart, but how are we going to find him?"

"Kaz is handling that." I told her. She sighed.

"We're doomed." She muttered.

"Probably." I agreed. "Still, you want to come with and make sure we don't all die?"

"I don't…" She broke off, glancing at her laptop. I could see numerous pictures on the screen, all of different heroes in the hospital. "The mole…"

"We already know who the mole is." I told her. Her head snapped back to me, a surprised look on her face. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but if we had…you would have gone right after them before we could figure out a new plan."

"I-" She glared at me, furious but unable to argue my point. "Who is it?"

"I'll tell you if you agree to come with us." I offered. She looked at me, annoyed. "Please, Liv? For Jaime?"

 **Oliver's POV**

Exactly one hour later, we all met up at Mighty Med. Kaz was already there, waiting for us, and Dani and Alivia had followed me into the ER.

"Alright, report!" Dani ordered. We all looked at her, and she laughed lightly. "Sorry, I like being in charge."

"I got nothing. There's no mention of Hapax the Elder in any other comics." I told them. "No idea whether he's alive, or what he looks like."

"Well, I got our backup." Dani put her hands on Alivia's shoulders. "And she's no longer pissed at us for turning her girlfriend evil."

"I wouldn't say that." Alivia told her, brushing her hands off her. "But I am onboard with the plan. How do we get to Caldera?"

"I had an idea about that." Kaz replied. "We take the I-95, get off at exit 17, go straight for about 81 billion light-years, and we'll eventually get to Caldera."

"We can't take the I-95." Alivia told him, frowning. "It's under construction."

"Right, forgot about that." Kaz realized. "Okay, then what about the wormhole transporter?"

"Where is it?" Dani questioned. Kaz paused, drawing up a blank.

"Uh…" He looked around. "I don't know where Horace keeps it."

"And we can't tell Horace about Skylar being evil, or he'll be in danger too." Alivia reasoned. "Not to mention, there's the possibility that he's another mole for the Annihilator."

"I seriously doubt that." Kaz commented, looking at her.

"We can't be sure." She replied.

"I got it." I told her as Horace walked in. I walked up to our boss, trying to look casual. "Hey Horace. Dee, Kaz, and I have a lot of vacation days stored up, and we were hoping to take a road trip…maybe to the planet Caldera. So can we borrow the wormhole transporter?"

"Absolutely not!" He shot us down. "The wormhole transporter is not a toy! This is a toy!"

He pulled out a paddleball and began to play with it, bouncing the ball against the white paddle.

"C'mon, Horace. We'll put gas in the wormhole transporter when we're done." Kaz promised him. "If it takes gas."

"We really don't know how it works." Dani added sheepishly.

"I said no!" Horace snapped before pointing at a nearby drawer. "Don't even open that drawer, where I keep it."

"Yes sir." Dani agreed, inching closer to the drawer.

"Besides, you couldn't survive on Caldera without atmosphere regulator patches, which I also forbid you to use." He added sternly. I nodded.

"Of course." I replied, trying to sound disappointed. He walked away to go check on a patient in one of the private rooms, and Dani slid open the drawer with the wormhole transporter.

"Put on these regulator patches." I instructed, pulling four out of the drawer next to it.

"Cold!" Kaz complained as he put his on.

"Here. I don't…buttons confuse me." My sister admitted, handing me the device. I started fiddling with the controls.

"Wait, are you sure you want to use the wormhole transporter?" Kaz inquired. "I'm just saying, if we drive, we can play I-Spy."

"Ooh, that sounds fun." Dani smirked.

"Only because you always win." Kaz retorted.

"Guys!" Alivia snapped, cutting them off. They sighed, and stopped. "Everyone read?"

"Let's go." I pressed a button on the wormhole transporter, and a circle of bright blue light appeared around us. It surrounded us, blinding us for a brief moment. When the light disappeared, we were standing in the middle of a desert, red sand and rocks as far as the eye can see. "I can't believe it. We're on Caldera, the volcanic planet."

Kaz grinned. "I spy with my little eye, something that starts with a V."

"Volcano?" Dani guessed. Kaz scowled.

"Told you she always wins." He muttered to Alivia, who merely rolled her eyes.

 **Dani's POV**

We spent a while wandering around the barren planet until finally, we caught sight of a someone wearing a thick, heavy white jacket. "Hey, maybe that person over there will know where we can find Hapax the Elder." I commented.

"Good idea." Ollie nodded as he walked up to the figure. "Excuse me?"

The figure stood up and turned around to face us. We all flinched backwards as Skylar's face looked back at us, my brother letting out another girly shriek.

"I forgot. All Calderans are grown in genetic pods, so they're identical." I realized. Ollie looked at the girl in front of us in amazement.

"Every girl looks just like Skylar." He hummed. "A planet full of Skylars is, like, my dream come true."

"Yes, but since you're afraid of her now, doesn't that also make this your worst nightmare?" Alivia questioned. Ollie looked horrified.

"I'm so torn." He murmured. I laughed, patting his shoulder.

"Is it always so hot here?" Kaz inquired, looking at the Skylar-doppelganger. She looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Hot?" She repeated. "It's only 3000 degrees! This is the coldest winter we've had in years!"

"Winter?" Ollie laughed in disbelief.

"Well, that would explain the lava-man." I commented, gesturing. Behind the girl we were talking to, a pair of Calderans were building a snowman out of lava rocks.

"Cool." I grinned. I moved to get a better look, but stumbled back when a four-foot-tall, scrawny, furry creature climbed out from behind a pile of rocks. I frowned, realizing that the face of the creature looked awfully familiar. "Gus?"

"Who's Gus?" The creature sounded like him too. "And that's the most ridiculous name I've ever heard! My name is Kakai-Rata-Heeha-Mwa-Floopy-Pa-Zoing."

"I'm just gonna call you Kakai, okay?" I replied, wondering who in the world chose that name for him.

"Wait, Skylar once showed me a picture of her dorenbosch and he looked a lot like Gus. This must be him." Ollie commented, walking over to me.

"First off, I'm a her." Kakai told my brother, slightly offended. "And did you say Skylar? As in Skylar Storm?"

"Yeah, we're friends of hers from Earth." Alivia told the dorenbosch. Kakai smiled.

"I haven't seen Skylar is a year! I've gotten no attention at all." She opened her arms. "Can a sister get a belly-rub?"

"Not it." Alivia, Kaz, and I said at the exact same time. Ollie glared at us.

"Maybe later." He told Kakai. "Anyway, we're here because Skylar needs our help. Do you have any idea where we could find Hapax the Elder?"

Kakai thought about it. "Maybe. He's pretty reclusive, but I think I can find him for you. Follow me."

"Sweet, thanks girl." Kaz told Kakai as she led us past the rocks.

"So, you're friends of Skylar's?" The dorenbosch confirmed.

"Well, they're friends with her. She and I…it's complicated." Ollie replied. Kaz sent him a look.

"It's not complicated; you're just friends." He reminded him.

 **Xxx**

"Man, I hope Hapax the Elder isn't like Grandpa." Ollie muttered me t as we walked into a pitch-black cave.

I nodded in agreement, then, realizing that he probably couldn't see me, added, "Yeah."

"Isn't your grandpa dead?" Alivia questioned from behind me.

"The other one." I replied, shrugging. He was always so grouchy with us, never really wanting to listen to anything we had to say.

"He's a stamp collector." Kaz reminded us.

"Yes, because our biggest fear in this dark and scary cave is that Hapax has a somewhat boring hobby." I commented sarcastically. Suddenly, the lights turned on. Standing at the far edge of the cave was a short man in a black and white robe, the hood covering his head.

"Who goes there?" He demanded.

"We're looking for Hapax the Elder." Alivia told him, the only one of us who wasn't even the slightest bit afraid of the scary man in the robe. But our own fears disappeared the moment he removed the hood, revealing that he looked exactly like Alan.

"You found him." He announced. We all looked at him. "What are you staring at?"

"I'm sorry, you just look a lot like a guy we know." I replied. "Your last name isn't Diaz, is it?"

"Diaz?" Hapax scoffed. "It's Gonzalez. Hapax the Elder Gonzalez."

I had to bite back a smile. Alan's father was Nelson Gonzalez. No way was that was a coincidence. Alivia raised her eyebrows, surprised, but didn't comment on it.

"But I don't get it. You're not old." Kaz commented bluntly.

"Oh, let me guess. On Caldera, Elder means teenager?" Ollie suggested. Hapax shook his head.

"No, our word for teenager is 'I hate, you're ruining my life'." Kakai informed us.

"Oh, Dani's used that quite a bit." Ollie commented. I gave him a look.

"Yeah, well, we both know she's at least trying to." I grumbled.

"Melodramatic much?" Ollie accused.

"They call me Hapax the Elder because I'm 93 years old." The Alan lookalike continued as if we'd never spoken. "My mutation has caused me to age in reverse. And also crave human blood."

I subtly placed myself behind Kaz. "I'm just kidding." Hapax assured us. Oh, guess it wasn't that subtle. He grabbed a ball off a rock-formed table and threw it out of the cave. Kakai stared at it.

"I guess I'll go get that." She offered before following it out. We looked at Hapax.

"Look, we came here because we need your help. A friend of ours, Skylar Storm, is in trouble." Kaz explained.

"She was turned evil by the Annihilator." Ollie continued. Hapax froze at his name.

"And she wasn't the only one, either." Alivia added. "Because of him, at least half a dozen superheroes have been turned evil."

"We were hoping that you would help us defeat him." I finished, looking at him pleadingly.

"I-I don't think so." To our shock and dismay, he refused. 'I'm way too old for the superhero game. Besides, I don't think I'm powerful enough anymore to defeat Neil."

"Neil?" Kaz repeated, confused.

"Sorry, The Annihilator." Hapax rolled his eyes. "When I knew him, he was Neil Gunzenhauser but that was years ago, back when we both lived on Earth."

"Here you go." Kakai ran back in, holding the ball. Hapax took it from him and threw it out of the cave once more. Kakai looked at him, confused.

"Why would you do that? I just brought it back." She sighed before racing after the ball once more.

"Hapax, please." Ollie begged him. "You're our only hope to save Skylar, our friends, and the Earth."

Hapax must have seen the look of desperation on his face, and sighed. "Alright, I'll help you. But you have to bring me something first."

"Some cave freshener?" Alivia sniffed the air with distain.

"The box of Azimeth." Hapax told us. "It lies at the top of Caldera's tallest volcano and it's guarded by a man-eating monster known as the Dracaina. Fortunately, the Dracaina hibernates during the winter, so the only thing that would be able to wake it up would be if the long dormant volcano suddenly erupted."

Suddenly, we all heard a rumbling sound. "Was that the volcano?" I demanded.

"No, no, no." Hapax assured us. "That was my stomach; I skipped lunch." We all sighed in relief, but were cut off by a loud explosion. "That was the volcano."

"Great." Alivia muttered. She looked at me. "Why'd I let you talk me into this?"

Before I could reply, Kakai ran back in. She handed the ball to Hapax, who once again threw it away. But this time, Kakai stood her ground, refusing to fetch it. "No! This time, you can go get it!"

Hapax ignored her and grabbed a large bow and a quiver of arrows off the ground. He handed them to the boys.

"I think these are for you." Ollie handed me the bow. I chuckled and shouldered the bow.

"And you thought those archery classes were a waste of time." I smirked smugly, walking past my friends on my way out of the cave.

 **Oliver's POV**

As of this moment, I didn't think it was possible to be more annoyed with Kaz and Dani.

"Are we there yet?" Dani questioned, whining as she used the bow as a walking stick.

"Stop it." Alivia snapped.

"Are we there yet?" Kaz moaned.

"Quit it." I warned.

"Are we there yet?" They both demanded at the same time. Alivia and I exchanged looks.

"If one of you guys ask that one more time…" Alivia let the threat hang.

"We're here!" I exclaimed, almost relieved when we reached the top of the volcano.

"Oh, cool." Dani smiled. Kaz looked around, impressed, until the volcano shook again, rocks tumbling down the side of it.

"Can we go now?" My best friend begged.

"Quit it." I ordered.

"Can we go now?" Dani added, looking at me and Alivia pleadingly.

"Stop it." Alivia scolded as we walked past a massive crop of rocks. Just behind them, a little, seemingly old, lady sitting on a rock in front of us.

"Excuse me, ma'am." Kaz approached her. "We're looking for the man-eating beast that protects the box of Azimeth. Do you know where it is?"

She didn't answer. "She probably didn't hear you." Dani offered. "She's very old…or young. I'm really confused."

I rubbed her arm gently, chuckling a bit. "Excuse me!" Kaz tried shouting. "Do you know where the box of Azimeth is?"

"It's right over there." The old lady slowly stood up and pointed at an old box made of stone, sitting nearby. "And I have a name, you know; Dracaina."

Kakai began to whimper, sneaking behind me. "Don't worry, Kakai-Rata-Heeha-Mwa-Floopy-Pa-Zoing." I assured her gently. "We'll be okay."

"Yeah, I mean, how hard is it going to be to get past a little old lady?" Kaz agreed. We turned to face the Dracaina, but to our surprise, her entire jaw unhinged, smoke and sparks flying from it. We leapt back as she began to shoot lava out of her mouth at us. We bolted behind nearby rocks as she blasted streams of lava towards us.

"You'll never get the box of Azimeth while I'm alive!" The Dracaina called. "I've spent my entire life guarding it!"

"Well, hey, you know, maybe it's time for a career change!" Kaz shouted.

"Have you ever considered the job of handing over the box of Azimeth?" Dani added. She let out a surprised shriek, once again ducking behind the rock when the Dracaina spit another ball of fire at us. "Never mind!"

"We need to get that box now!" I hissed. "Hapax gave us that bow."

Dani nodded, slipping the bow off her shoulder. "Let's hit her with everything we've got."

She reached out towards Kaz, expecting him to hand her the arrows, but Kaz was already moving ahead of himself, and he threw the quiver at the Dracaina like it was a javelin. The quiver full of arrows flew past the monster, and right into the volcano. Alivia, Dani, and I all turned on him, looking like he was an idiot. "You know, as soon as it left my hand, I kinda knew I made a mistake."

"Now we're totally out of ammunition." Dani muttered. She looked to me for a solution. "Ollie, what do we do?"

"I-" Before I could answer, the Dracaina shot another lava ball at us. This time, it completely obliterated the rock we were using to protect ourselves. We raced behind another nearby rock, hands covering our heads as the debris fell towards us.

"Watch out for lava! And the falling rocks!" I shouted. "Wow, I hate this planet."

"What about the Skylar population?" Dani teased. I gave her a look, and was about to tell her to be quiet, but then I got an idea.

"Falling rocks!" I exclaimed. "If we caused a rockslide over by the Dracaina, it might knock her into the lava pit."

"We could use the bow as a slingshot!" Alivia grinned. She looked at Dani. "Is your aim good enough to do that?"

"You insult me." My sister retorted. "Boys, hold the bow."

"Yes ma'am." We both replied, grabbing an end of the bow. Dani settled herself behind it.

"Here, take this weird shaped rock." Kakai offered, handing her a white, oddly shaped object. Dani threw it at Alivia the moment it touched her hands, a disgusted look on her face.

"That's a skull!" She cried, a horrified look on her face. "An animal skull."

"Would it be better if it were a human skull?" Alivia retorted, trying to hand the skull back to her. Dani shook her head.

"No way. I'm not touching that." My sister refused.

"Dee-" I tried, but she was adamant.

"Nope." She shook her head. Kakai sighed.

"I'll do it." She offered, taking Dani's place. The dorenbosch took the skull from Alivia and placed it in front of the bow's string.

"Alright, we'll launch on three. One…two…" I didn't even get to three. Apparently, the pressure that built up when Kakai pulled back on the string was too much for her to handle, and the force of it flung her off her feet, along with the skull. Both of them were violently thrown into the side of the volcano, causing a rock fall. The Dracaina tried to get out of the way, but wasn't able to get clear from the falling rocks in time, and was knocked into the lava pit below her. Kaz, Alivia, Dani, and I raced up to the edge to make sure that the monster was gone.

"Wow. The Dorenbosch…" Kaz looked up at where Kakai had hit, but Skylar's pet was nowhere to be found. "He-"

"-she," Dani corrected.

"-totally risked his-" He continued.

"-her" Dani gave him a look.

"To save us." Kaz finished.

"I hope she's okay." Alivia murmured, craning her neck to try and find Kakai. "The dorenbosch, not the Dracaina. The Dracaina was a complete tool."

 **Dani's POV**

"Sorry we took so long." I apologized as Alivia, Kaz, Ollie, and I ran into Hapax's cave. I sent a glare back at my brother. "Someone made us stop so he could check his hair."

"Well, it's not my fault that I got hit in the head with a lava ball and my hair caught on fire."

"Surprisingly, it doesn't look that bad." Alivia commented, looking carefully at the back of Ollie's head.

"I really hate this planet." Ollie muttered. Hapax sighed.

"I didn't think you would ever come back. Otherwise, I would have put out some snacks." He told us. "You guys like hummus?"

"It's okay. We're just happy to be alive." I assured him.

"Actually, I wouldn't say no to some cheese." Kaz suggested. He caught my, Alivia, and Ollie's disapproving looks, but shrugged it off before placing the box of Azimeth on Hapax's table.

"You four have done well." Hapax complimented us, nodding at us in approval as he removed the lid from the box. "Azimeth used this box to protect this amulet that gives the possessor the incredible power to…balance my coffee table."

He quickly slid the amulet – a circular, engraved coin about the size of my hand – under a leg of the coffee table. "That's been bugging me for years."

"Seriously?" Alivia raised an eyebrow, a little annoyed. Hapax looked at her and she smiled. "Oh, don't worry about. It doesn't make us feel like we risked our lives for nothing at all."

"Well, it shouldn't, because you've all passed my test and proved your bravery." Hapax told her. "I will now come back to Earth with you and help you defeat The Annihilator."

"Thank you." Ollie breathed a sigh of relief as we all exchanged high-fives.

"But do I have to call him 'The Annihilator'? He just looks so much like a Neil to me."

"Call him whatever you want so long as we kick his ass." I replied, grinning. I looked at Alivia and Ollie. "Let's go turn your girlfriends good again."

"So, are we going, or what?" Kaz questioned.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something." Hapax frowned. "Oh, right. I should get a sweater. I'm used to the temperature on Caldera, and besides, I look really good in sweaters. But not sweater vests. They're very unflattering."

He went into the back of his cave to retrieve a sweater. "I cannot wait to get out of here and finally have this whole nightmare behind me."

I opened my mouth to agree, but froze when a wormhole opened up behind him. Skylar and the Annihilator both stepped out of it, neither looking too pleased with us. "That's not the only thing that's behind you." Ollie told him and Alivia. We turned our friends around so that they too could stare in horror at the pair.

Skylar and the Annihilator both stared us down threateningly, and I gulped nervous. We were definitely in some trouble now.

"You know…he really does look like a Neil." I whispered to Kaz, trying and failing to alleviate some of the tension.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Alright guys, I hope you guys liked it. Tell me what you thought. Anyway, I'm going to try and have Storm's End up as soon as I can. I'm going to say that the 5** **th** **is the official update day, but since I'm about halfway done it already, there's a chance I'll update early. Aside from that, here's the plan for the next month:**

 **November 5** **th** **: Storm's End**

 **November 9** **th** **: Future Tense**

 **November 14** **th** **: Stop Bugging Me**

 **November 21** **st** **: Gus' Talk Show**

 **November 22** **nd** **: The Key to Being a Hero**

 **November 28** **th** **: The New Kids are Docs**

 **Kihonne: Oh, and by the way, I wanted your guys opinion on the Elite Force finale. Since it was the finale, I'm starting to plan ahead, and I want to know how you guys felt about it? And how would you guys feel if I wrote an entire second season full of original chapters?**


	24. Storm's End

**Kihonne: Alright guys, how's it going? I hope your weekends were good. Now, I've brought you Storm's End, the final chapter in the Slylar Storm arc! Are you excited? I sure am! Now, let's move onto shoutouts!**

 **Xxx**

 **Labgirl2001: I admit it was a little fast paced, but that was also because I was planning on making the end of it much longer, since it was supposed to be a two-parter. Hopefully, this chapter will make up for. As for Elite Force, I would definitely wrap up that cliffhanger, but the second season I'm talking about would take some minor-ish plots introduced in Lab Rats and Mighty Med and seriously expanding on them. I think most people are going to like what I have planned, though it might be a little more serious than comedic, like Lab Rats in its later seasons.**

 **Duggie Davenport: The cliffhanger bothers me. However, I don't think we're going to get a TV movie like the did with Wizards, or at least not anytime soon, because while the actors would probably be happy and ecstatic to do one, it's up to the station to make that kind of decision, and Chris Peterson (one of the producers) already said that nothing like that is on the table right now. I would love some help with the chapters for my season 2, actually. I've got ideas for most of them, since I was already working on a seasonal arc when they announced that EF was being cancelled, but if I'm actually going to do this in the traditional MM/LR format, I need some chapters that aren't strictly season arc related and to just relieve some of the tension so it doesn't seem rushed. If you have any ideas for any kind of episode – funny, romantic, dramatic – please let me know. I've got about three chapter slots where I've got no ideas whatsoever for, and the ideas would be much appreciated. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Xxx**

 **Kai is the best: Do no worry about the grammar. I get it. I'm so glad you like my stories so much! I really love hearing from new readers! Believe me, I'm going to give Elite Force the ending it deserves. I'm not just going to resolve the cliffhanger in a way that I KNOW everyone is going to LOVE, but I'm also going to add in a complete second season to resolve any plot holes and unresolved plotlines from Lab Rats and Mighty Med. I'm really glad you like both my couples so much! As for Mr. Terror, I'm not going to write an extra fight between her and the heroes, but I do intend to really expand on that story arc, so don't worry – you're going to get to see plenty of family drama between Dani, Oliver, and their mother.**

 **PiLotguest: Don't worry about it. I'm glad you liked the chapter, especially the vegetarianism. Vegans generally refuse to eat anything that comes from animals, such as milk or eggs, while Dani is strictly against eating animals themselves, and is perfectly fine with things such as cheese, yogurt, or omelets. Therefore, she is a vegetarian. As for Dani's childishness, I'm glad you like how I emphasized it. It's going to be a source for comedy in Elite Force for sure, but it's also just key to who she is. She's a child, she likes to have fun, she's stubborn. It's a major part of her character. I completely agree that they stretched Chase's loneliness too far in Elite Force, though maybe I might be biased because I now have to figure out how to write The Attack while keeping in mind Chase and Calla's relationship at that point (seriously, Elite Force writers, you could have made it easier for me). It is, however, cutting down his character (I think that's the right phrase) and I will alter that a bit in Elite Force, as well as tone down Oliver's creepiness a bit. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Avaoreo1112: I'm glad you liked it! The bow and arrow thing will actually come back later, so if you thought it was cool then, wait till later. It'll be awesome, trust me. Oh, you definitely need to catch up on it. It was a great episode, I thought, but for a finale, I didn't like it much. But I do get being so busy that you're behind on your shows – I still haven't seen the new season of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, and I'm pretty sure the 8** **th** **episode comes out tomorrow or something. As for your stories, I totally encourage you to do this! I would love to read some of your writing. My advice would be, however, take things slow and plan it out ahead of time. I remember back when I was writing The Facility, I hadn't really planned it out and then I spent about two months on HIATUS because I had no idea where I was going with it. And take your time. Chapters tend to take a while to write (I usually manage about an hour per 1000 words, but only if I'm really focused on it) and if you're stuck on a chapter or idea and you're not sure what to do next, take a break from writing and do something you love. Relaxing will help the creative juices flow, trust me. Oh, and believe in your story. Your first story doesn't tend to get all that many reviews at first, so if you're not getting many, don't let that discourage you. Keep on writing and in no time, you'll have an army's worth of readers and followers. I wish you the best of luck, and let me know when you've posted your first chapter! I could recommend it to a couple of friends of mine that love OUAT! :) Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Kid arachnid: While Shadow does sound like an interesting character, I, unfortunately, do not take character requests like that. I often feel like I can't meet the creator's expectations with their characters, or I'll do something you won't like with the character (we're not going to agree on every decision with my stories), and if I accepted one character suggestion, then everyone would be suggesting characters, and it would be too much to keep up with. Also, Bree's got a boyfriend already in my stories. Sorry.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the story!**

 **Barry: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns me, Dani, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Dani's POV**

We all stared at Skylar and the Annihilator, shocked that they'd found us so easily.

"What are you doing here?" Alivia demanded, stepping in front of us.

"We figured you'd come to Hapax the Elder. He is the only person who can defeat the Annihilator." Skylar replied, smirking.

"Hapax the Elder is the last obstacle keeping me from destroying the world. So he must be destroyed." The Annihilator sneered. We all exchanged looks before attempting to run and warn Hapax. But before we could get far, the Annihilator and Skylar raised their hands and used their powers to freeze the four of us in place.

He paused. "Wait a second. Why is Oliver here?" He turned to Skylar. "You told me you finished him off at the dance?"

Skylar feigned a look of surprise. "I did. I watched him die. I mean, he was all like 'Ah, I'm dying', and I was all like 'Ha! You're dead!'."

Huh, Skylar had lied to the Annihilator about killing my brother. But why?

"Hmm, this must be the work of the Legendary Healer of Superheroes, Caduceo." The Annihilator hummed. "He must have come out of hiding to bring Oliver back to life."

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Skylar agreed with him readily, not wanting to get busted for lying.

"Caduceo will pau for this! I'll have my minions track him down and finish him off for good." The Annihilator threatened. "Then no one will be able to resurrect Kaz, Dani, Geminus, and Oliver once I'm done with them!"

"I found my favorite sweater!" Hapax called from the back of the cave. "My son bought it for me years ago!"

He stepped into the main part of the cave, holding up a grey sweater. He froze when he saw Skylar and the Annihilator. "Neil?"

He noticed that we were frozen and used his powers to reverse what Skylar and the Annihilator had done. "Take cover!"

"No prob!" I shouted as Kaz, Ollie and I moved to hide behind Hapax's couch. Alivia stood in front of it, fists clenched and ready for a fight. She was glaring at Skylar hatefully, clearly blaming her for everything that had happened to Jaime. "Geminus!"

"There's not enough room for us all to hide behind there anyway!" My best friend retorted. She looked at Hapax. "I will happily help you kick his butt."

Hapax nodded at her gratefully, then turned to the Annihilator. "Hello, my old student. I wish I could say it's good to see you again."

"Hapax the Elder." The Annihilator sneered. "You look so old, your grey hair has turned black."

"I tried dyeing it grey for a while, but who was I kidding?" Hapax sighed.

"I could easily destroy you with the help of Skylar or my cannon." The Annihilator mused, dropping his cannon at his feet and clenching his fists.. "But I'd rather fight you mano a mano, or should I say, mutant to mutant."

"You shouldn't. Mano a mano sounds much better." Alivia commented, not taking her eyes off Skylar. The Annihilator and Hapax began to circle around each other for a moment before they each blasted a beam of energy at each other, the two attacks colliding and fighting with each other to see which one would prove the most powerful. Alivia and Skylar stood at opposite ends, keeping their distance, but remaining close enough to help if need be.

"Kaz, what are you doing?" I turned my neck at Ollie's question, and frowned when I saw Kaz smiling at the cave's ceiling and giving it a thumb's up.

"Well, when Ambrose draws this battle for the comic book, I want to make sure I don't have a weird, scared expression on my face."

"Like Ollie's?" I whispered. My brother gave me an annoyed look.

"You taught me every skill I know, and now those skills will be your undoing." The Annihilator growled,

"You may have learned how to use those skills, but not why to use them, Neil."

"Stop calling me Neil!" The Annihilator snapped, just before Hapax overwhelmed him. The blast of energy suddenly became too strong for the Annihilator to keep at bay, and the force knocked him clean off his feet. But the villain wasn't done. He grabbed one of Hapax's staffs from where it leaned against the wall and charged at the Elder, leaping into the air at the last minute. He brought all his power down on Hapax at once, but the superhero trainer used his telekinesis (yet another trait that reminded me of Alan) to retrieve his own staff, managing to hold it up in defense at the last second, blocking the Annihilator's blow. They attacked each other, each trying to use their weapon to knock their opponent off guard, but it soon became clear that while Hapax looked young, his reflexes were not. The Annihilator was managing to get more hits in, and between blows from the staff and sharp kicks to his stomach, Hapax was losing his advantage. It wasn't long before the Annihilator managed to get Hapax on his back, the supervillain ready to deliver the final blow.

"The power cannon!" Kaz hissed suddenly, pointing at the weapon. Ollie sprung into action, leaping at the weapon and swiping it off the floor in one fluid motion. He hefted it up into his arms, aiming it directly at the Annihilator.

"Skylar, give yourself up, or I'll destroy the Annihilator." He threatened, giving her a desperate look. Kaz and I exchanged looks. This was one hell of a bluff; we both knew that Ollie didn't have it in him to actually kill someone, I don't think any of us could ever do something like that. But all we needed to do was convinced Skylar that we could.

I don't know what I was expecting her to do, but I certainly did not expect her to smirk and reply, "You know what? I'll save you the trouble," before turning towards the Annihilator and blasting him full of hot pink energy. The attack threw him to ground and he did not get back up, his entire body smoking. We all stared in shock at his limp body.

"You killed him?" I looked at Skylar, confused. Ollie beamed.

"I knew you weren't evil." His face was lit up like a Christmas tree. "There past few weeks have all been a scheme to get revenge on The Annihilator." He glanced back at Kaz. "You owe me a pudding cup."

"Oh, I'm still evil." Skylar replied, sounding as if she was trying to reassure us. She raised her hand to her hair and a white streak appeared, the hairs losing their color right before our eyes. She looked down at the Annihilator in distain. "I was just sick of that guy. It was always 'Annihilate this, annihilate that'." She complained. Ollie's face fell, his hopes destroyed.

"And besides" She continued, smiling, "why settle for destroying Earth when I'm powerful enough to rule the entire universe?"

"Now who owes who a pudding cup?" Kaz whispered. Ollie glared him at him.

"Skylar, you don't have to do this." Alivia told her, hoping she'd come to her sense. She shrugged.

"No, but I want to do this." She replied dismissively. Ollie gulped nervously.

"Please don't destroy us." He begged her. She looked at us, baffled by the fear on our faces.

"Come on, how could you ever think I'd do that? You guys are my friends!" She reminded us. I let out a slow sigh of relief. "That's why I'm going to let you live and turn you evil."

"You've got to be kidding me, right?" Alivia raised an eyebrow. Skylar shook her head.

"That's why I turned Spark evil. So we could all be together." She insisted. "You guys are going to work for me. I may be a supervillain, but I still need someone to get froyo with."

"You've lost your mind." I've heard of people going power mad, but I didn't think it actually meant they went crazy.

"I'm fine, by the way!" We heard Kakai shout, coming into the lair. "Thanks for waiting for me."

The dorenbosch stopped short when she saw Skylar, the pet beaming excitedly. "Skylar! Skylar!" She screamed in joy, leaping onto her and licking her face.

"C'mon." I grabbed Ollie by the arm, dragging him out of the cave with me. Kaz and Alivia followed shortly, helping the injured Hapax stumbled along.

 **Barry's POV**

"Hey Gus, Jordan." I frowned, surprised to see the younger boy in the Domain. It had been empty for the past couple of weeks, the owners nowhere to be found. I only came in myself because I saw the light on and wondered if Dani was in, seeing as it was her favorite hang out. "What are you doing here?"

"We've decided to take over." Jordan explained, smirking.

"What about Wallace and Clyde?" I thought that was what their names were.

"No sign of them." Gus replied. He looked at Jordan excitedly. "Maybe they finally got their children's book published about the win earthworms who run a comic book store and leave once they finally get their children's book published."

"Yeah…" She gave him a weirded out look before smiling at me. "Now, what do ya need, Barry?"

"Just looking for Dani." I replied, shrugging. "Coach Rombough says there's some sort of state wide archery tournament for high schools in a couple of months, and since we're the only ones in school with any archery training, he wants us to represent Logan High."

"I still can't believe you guys took an archery class together." Jordan shook her head at me. "Who does that?"

"Us." I replied, a little offended at her tone.

Jordan smirked and was about to make a smug remark when she suddenly froze, her brown eyes going wide. "No way."

I frowned, turning around, but all I saw were two guys outside the store, both of them wearing suspiciously identical outfits. "What?"

"Did you see that?" Jordan looked at Gus, fairly excited about something. He shook his head.

"No. I think I need glasses." He replied. We both looked at him. "Oh, these are fakes ones to make me look studly."

Jordan ignored him and looked at me before pointing at the guys outside. "Those guys, who look exactly like Tecton and Blue Tornado just, like, dropped out of the sky."

"I think you both need glasses." I commented, shaking my head. Jordan's imagination was just as wild as Dani's.

"I'm not seeing things." She walked around the counter to stand next to me.

"He knows, Jordan. He meant you should wear some to improve your looks." Gus called.

"Uh, no, I didn't. She looks fine without them." I replied before looking at those guys. "But yeah, I think you're seeing things."

"I know this makes no sense, but I think superheroes are real." Jordan insisted. "I saw those guys switch from their superhero uniforms and into street clothes like that." She snapped her fingers. I nodded, staring at her.

"You're right. That does make no sense." I agreed. She glared at me. "Jordan, that's crazy talk and we both know it."

"I know what I saw." She insisted. I chuckled and look over at the two guys. They were talking to each other, looking serious. Though I certainly didn't believe Jordan's story, something about them did give me the creeps.

 **Dani's POV**

We got away from that cave as fast as we could, Alivia and Kaz basically dragging Hapax with them. "Stop, we need a break." Alivia called after a while. I looked around. We were in the middle of nowhere, with no sign of Skylar.

"Alright." Ollie agreed as Alivia helped Hapax sit on a rock. "How are you doing, Hapax?"

"Not good. My place is trashed, and my cave-keeper doesn't come until next week." He sighed. "Also, I'm very badly hurt."

"We have to get out of here." I looked at Kaz, hoping he had a plan.

"We need to get home to Might Med so we can contact the League of Heroes and get them to take Skylar out."

"What?" Ollie looked at him, shocked. "No, we can't quit on Skylar!"

"Oliver, we gave it our best shot. But it's a superhero's duty to stop criminals." Alivia told him, serious.

"What about Jaime? Because last I checked, she was evil too." My brother challenged. Alivia's face became serious, her mask helping her look colder than she was.

"She may be evil, but she hasn't committed any crimes yet. Therefore, so long as we keep her contained and out of trouble, we can sit down and find a way to turn her back. But Skylar just killed someone. Yes, he was a villain and it was his own fault, but she just committed _murder_." She emphasized the word, trying to get it into his head. "She's too far gone."

"No, she's not. She's still a good person inside." Ollie insisted. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Ollie, I know you always try and see the good in people, and I love that about you, I do, but…" I shook my head helplessly. "I don't think there's any good left in her."

"Yes, there is!" He slapped my hand away, angry and frustrated. I pulled my hand back, silently reminding myself that he only did that because he was upset and he was actually in love with the girl we were trying to take down. "We have to save her!"

"Why are you so obsessed with saving her?" Kaz questioned, losing his patience. "How about saving us?"

"Well maybe she's more worth saving than you guys." Ollie retorted. That stunned us into silence.

"She is, is she?" I hummed after a long moment. Even Kaz looked shocked that he would say that to us. "She's more worth saving than us? Who's tried to destroy you about twelve times in the past week? Oh yeah, Skylar!"

"You're exaggerating." Ollie rolled his eyes.

"Okay, you know what's not exaggerating? I've had your back since we were five years old! Alivia's dedicated all of her free time to protecting us. And Dani's your freaking sister! And you still think that Skylar, a supervillain you've known for barely a year, is more worth saving than us?" Kaz snapped, furious. "Look, I know you have this fantasy about her falling in love with you, but I've got some news for you pal, it's never going to happen!"

Oliver glared at him. "Well, I've got some news for you pal: shut your face!"

I glanced over my shoulder, hoping their fight wouldn't get anyone's attention. This was getting serious; the three of us didn't fight this bad very often, and while Ollie obviously needed a reality check when it came to how Skylar felt about him, Kaz had clearly hurt him.

"Guys? Skylar's coming." Alivia hissed, clapping her hand over my boyfriend's mouth before he could say anything else. "We need to hide."

"Let's go." I grabbed Kaz's arm, trying to usher him behind a large rock.

"Fine, but I'm not hiding with Oliver. Come on, Hapax." He looked at the elder expectantly. Ollie glared him.

"No, Hapax, come with me!" He insisted. Seriously, were they being this childish?

"I'm going to hide with Kaz," Hapax said slowly, giving my brother an apologetic look, "But only because he asked first."

"Come on." Kaz, Hapax, Alivia, and I hid behind a large rock, while Ollie insisted on hiding behind one a few feet away from us. We hid just as Skylar's face came into view, her eyes searching the horizon for us.

"You can't hide forever!" She shouted. "My Skylar Sense will detect you. That, or I'll hear Kaz, because he hums when he's nervous."

"I knew I shouldn't have hid with you." Hapax muttered under his breath. Kaz sent him a look, but didn't get a chance to speak before Ollie did.

"I'm right here." To my shock and dismay, Ollie stood up from behind his rock, raising his hands slowly to show that he was unarmed.

"What is he doing?" Alivia hissed.

"Being an idiot." Kaz muttered, eyes wide. What was he thinking? Skylar was going to kill him! Or turn him evil!

"You're too powerful and no one can stop you." Ollie told Skylar as he slowly approached her. "I give up."

Skylar laughed. "How sweet. Trying to sacrifice yourself to save your friends."

Ollie shook his head. "No, I'm trying to save myself. I'm done with them." He turned and pointed at the rock we were hiding behind. "Alivia, Kaz, Dani, and Hapax are all hiding behind that rock."

And suddenly, it was like time stopped. Ollie had betrayed us. The one person I always trusted with everything, even more than I trusted Kaz, was my brother, and he'd just sold us out. I just couldn't wrap my head around it, not at all.

Suddenly, the rock exploded, pieces flying everywhere as Skylar's blast destroyed it. Ollie and Skylar both stood in front of us, staring at us. Kaz, Alivia and I slowly stood up and I saw that my look of disbelief and hurt was mirrored on Kaz's face as well. Alivia glared at them, hands clenched, but I could tell she was hurt as well by my brother's abandonment.

 **Barry's POV**

"I'm telling you, I know what I saw!" Jordan was beginning to sound desperate and a tiny bit paranoid as she eyed the two guys outside. "At least I think I do."

"Just remember to say it exactly like that to your court-appointed psychiatrist." I replied, rolling my eyes. She glared at me, but paused when the door opened and one of the two guys walked in and began to browse through the comics. He was tall and blonde, and I supposed he did look similar to the hero in the Tecton comics, but I seriously doubted that he was a superhero.

"I'll prove that he's Tecton." Jordan told me. "The meteor in Tecton's chest contains iron. If I can get a hold of an electromagnet, it'll stick to his chest."

"And where are you going to get an electromagnet?" I questioned. Gus reached into his backpack and pulled out a large, white cylinder. I looked at him. "You carry an electromagnet around in your bag?"

"Why? Do you not carry an electromagnet around with you at all time?" He stared at me. "You're so weird."

"Right, okay." I nodded before looking at Jordan.

"Distract him." She told me. I sighed and walked up to the stranger, wondering why the hell I was getting myself involved in all of this.

"Can I help you, sir?" I inquired. He shook his head.

"Uh, no thanks. I'm just shopping for my son." He replied.

"We don't sell children here." I figured I needed to keep him talking if Jordan was going to try to prove this, and making jokes was a good way to go. "What kind of store do you think this is?"

He looked at me as if I was an idiot, then turned back to the display. Meanwhile, Jordan had turned on the electromagnet. While the man didn't move, I could tell that something was wrong with him as a determined frown formed on his face. He didn't even flinch as metallic items began to fly towards Jordan, starting small like headphones, but quickly growing in size, such as the garbage can that shot straight at her.

"Jordan!" I exclaimed as the garbage can hit her to the ground. "Are you okay?"

"Help me up!" She retorted, holding out her hand. Smirking, I pulled her to her feet, then glanced at the man, who was continuing to look through the products.

"So, that didn't work." I commented. She gave me a fierce look.

"I'm not done." She assured me. I sighed; this was going to be a very long day, wasn't it?

 **Dani's POV**

"I can't believe you sold us out." I could barely look at my brother, I was so angry.

"I am never talking to you again." Kaz was clearly on my side on this. Ollie shrugged.

"Oh, too bad." He commented sarcastically. "I'm really going to miss all the dangling participles and indefinite pronouns."

"And this is why you don't have a girlfriend." I muttered. Alivia glared at him.

"You're a coward, Short." She told him. He looked her in the eye.

"That's your opinion." He replied simply before turning to Skylar. "Alright, I'm ready to become a villain. Is it going to hurt? I hope it won't hurt."

"Hapax, you have to drain her powers!" Kaz hissed, looking at the Alan-duplicate. He shook his head.

"I can't; I'm too injured." He explained. "She'd destroy me before I could finish."

I watched as Skylar pulled out a silver syringe, eerily glowing green liquid inside. But just before she could inject my brother with it, he pulled a large black rock out from his backpack and held it on top of her head. Surprisingly, the rock seemed to have some sort of an effect on her, as she stumbled and swayed before hitting the ground with a groan. "What's going on?"

"It's coal, her one weakness." Ollie explained, tossing the coal up and catching it like it was a baseball. He looked at Hapax. "Hapax, drain her powers while she's too weak to stop you."

Hapax raised his hands and began to drain the powers from Skylar, while we all watched. Slowly, but surely, Hapax drained the powers out of her. "Look." Alivia laughed in disbelief as Skylar's hair streak began to change colors. "Her hair is turning pink."

"She's a superhero again!" I exclaimed.

"Not quite." Hapax told us solemnly. "In order to turn remove the evil from her, I also had to remove her powers, and I can't give them back to her because they're tainted. You can't separate one from the other."

"So, I'm powerless?" We looked down to see Skylar slowly pulling herself together, climbing onto her knees.

"I'm afraid so." Hapax nodded as Ollie helped our friend to her feet. My brother looked at her.

"Don't worry, Skylar. We'll figure out a way to get your powers back again." He promised her. I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. He was always making promises to that girl. "But for now, at least you're okay."

"Guys…" Skylar looked at us, eyes wide and vulnerable. "I'm so-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a blast of dark energy came out of nowhere, hitting her in the back of then neck. The sudden attack, combined with the lingering effects of the coal, was enough to bring her back to her knees. We snapped our heads to the side to see the Annihilator, using a rock to keep himself standing and glaring at us.

"I thought you were dead!" Alivia exclaimed, staring at the villain.

"Not yet. Not before that traitor, Skylar Storm, is." He replied, readying his power canon to attack again. But before he could, Hapax raised his hands and drained the power from him. However, instead of the power flooding into Hapax like Skylar's, the power seemed to go in every direction, creating a wave around us, like a raindrop falling into a puddle.

"What did you just do?" Kaz questioned as the Annihilator collapsed.

"I drained his life force." Hapax explained. "That wave of power will release everyone who was under his influence."

"So all the superheroes whose powers he tainted will instantly not be evil anymore?" Alivia stared at him. I smirked, knowing that there was only one hero she cared about.

"Of course not. We're a billion light-years away from Earth. The wave won't get there instantly." He responded. "It could take anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 seconds!"

We frowned at him. "I really did not expect you to say seconds." Kaz commented. I glanced at my brother.

"1,500 to 2,000 seconds?" I questioned. He sighed.

"25 to 33 minutes, give or take." He replied before bending down to help Skylar back up.

"Okay, half an hour, not bad." Alivia nodded.

"I can't believe we just defeated the Annihilator." Kaz grinned, watching as the Annihilator's body crumpled into a pile of ashes. He wouldn't be bothering anyone ever again.

"We?" Hapax repeated sternly.

"Skylar, are you okay?" Ollie questioned, looking at the pink-clad former hero. I examined her with my eyes, noting that her skin was a shade pale than normal, and she wasn't quite steady on her feet.

"I'm fine." Her response time was a little slow, too. "He just grazed my shoulder."

"You sure?" Kaz inquired. She nodded.

"Thank you." She told us. "You not only saved me and the other superheroes, but everyone on Earth."

"That's true, isn't it?" I turned and smirked at the guys. "So, not only did we save the people who save people, but we also saved the people who are usually saved by the people who save people."

"You should make t-shirts." Alivia commented, a light laugh in her tone. But the smile fell off her face when Skylar suddenly collapsed, the only thing keeping her from hitting her head on the ground being Ollie's quick reflexes. He caught her as she fell and gently lowered her to the ground, a worried frown on his face.

"I knew she wasn't okay." I knelt down next to Skylar and brushed her hair away from her neck, trying to get a better look at the wound. "Oh, god."

To my horror, black lines were beginning to tattoo her neck, looking as if pulsing, dark veins were bulging out her neck. Kaz, Ollie, and I recognized the symptoms at once – after all, there was only one thing in the universe that could cause that effect. "Guys? What's wrong with her?" Alivia questioned, leaning over us.

"The Annihilator shot her with Black Widower's poison powder." Ollie explained, taking Skylar's pulse with one hand. "It's spreading through her body."

"I'm guessing that's not a good thing." The red head commented. I glanced back at her.

"It means that she's dying." I informed her.

"We have to get her to Mighty Med, now!" Ollie insisted. "She's incredibly weak."

"I'm weak? You can't even do five pushups." Skylar mumbled, evidently still conscious enough to throw insults. Well, that had to be a good sign, right?

"Wow, someone's nasty when she's poisoned." Kaz commented.

"Uh, guys? We have a problem." I looked up to see Alivia holding the wormhole transporter. "The wormhole transporter isn't working."

"What? No!" Ollie stood up and snatched the device away from her. He pressed a few buttons, but the hope fled from his face as quickly as it had come. "The battery…it's dead."

"Oh, no." Kaz began to panic. "The battery's dead, then Skylar's gonna be dead, and we'll be stuck on this planet, and then we'll be dead! It's all over!"

"You should really join the drama club." Alivia muttered under her breath. Ollie glared at him.

"No, you always do this." He accused. "Whenever the going gets tough, you give up."

"That's not true!" Kaz retorted. "I can name tons of times where I didn't give up!"

"Name one." Ollie challenged.

"I'll name ten! There was…" He drew up a blank. "I give up."

"Unlike you, Dani and I won't give up." He sat down next to me, keeping his eyes on Skylar's face. "Dee, you're the creative one in the family. You have an idea?"

"Ollie…" I looked at him in despair. "I don't. I can't think of a solution to this."

"Hapax?" Alivia turned to the elder. "Do you have any powers that could get the wormhole transporter to work?"

"No, but I do have a teleportation power. It's how I got here years ago. I can use it to send you home." He told us. We all exchanged looks.

"That's even better. Thank you!" Ollie nodded at him gratefully.

"I must warn you, though, if I use my powers on a non-mutant, there could be some side-effects." He cautioned us.

"Like what? Shortness of breath?" I guessed. He sucked in a breath.

"Well, shortness." He admitted. "You might have no legs."

Well, that would suck, but it's not like we had another choice. "Skylar's running out of time. It doesn't matter what the risks are, just do it!" My brother exclaimed. Hapax nodded.

"Kneel down before me!" He exclaimed. We all stared at him.

"Why?" Kaz questioned. Hapax shrugged.

"I don't know. It makes me feel more powerful." He admitted. We all knelt down in front of him, Ollie keeping his hand on Skylar's wrist.

"Wait!" Kaz stopped him before he could teleport us away. He grabbed a rock off the ground, smirking as he stuffed it into his pocket. "I want a souvenir."

Hapax rolled his eyes and raised his hands towards us. What happened next was hard to describe. It was like a cloud of rainbows washed over us, and then we were back in Mighty Med, kneeling on the ground of the ER.

"We made it!" I exclaimed, climbing to my feet. Kaz looked down and screamed.

"My legs are gone!" He screamed in horror.

"You're still kneeling." Alivia informed him, offering him her hand. He looked it, then at his arm.

"My hand is gone!" He exclaimed, eyes blowing up wide.

"It's still in your pocket." The red-head assured him. He pulled it out and examined it, relief washing over him.

"Horace!" Ollie shouted, spinning around to look at Skylar. "Anyone!"

"What happened?" Horace demanded, rushing in as Benny, one of the nurses, helped us get Skylar onto a bed.

"Black Widower Poison." I explained in a rush, skipping any unnecessary words. "She's been unconscious for a minute."

"We're losing her!" Horace exclaimed. Kaz, Ollie, Alivia, and I were pushed out of the way by nurses. "She's too weak to administer the antidote. We need to stabilize her first."

We watched as the nurses began to try and save her, injecting her with a shot of adrenaline and attaching her to an IV. But to our horror, her vitals, now shown on the screen above the hospital bed, were still dropping. Then, the green line representing her heartrate, formerly going back and forth erratically, went straight.

"She's flatlining!" Horace shouted.

"Do something!" Ollie shouted at him. I felt him reach for my hand, just like how I always reached for his when I was scared. And just like he did for me, I took it, holding it tight to reassure him that I was here.

"I need defibrillators!" Horace snapped at a nearby nurse. Benny shoved some into his hands before the other nurse could react, the younger man having already been prepared. "Clear!"

He pressed the defibrillators down on her chest, to no effect. By this point, numerous heroes and staff had gathered around, all of them having been affected by Skylar's constant presence in the hospital over the past year. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Spotlight and Alan watching, both shocked by this turn of events.

"Clear!" Horace tried again, but just like before, nothing happened.

"Try again!" Ollie begged him, but we all knew that it was too late.

"She's gone." I whispered, despite myself.

 **Barry's POV**

"I know that's Tecton!" Jordan insisted. "There's got to be some way to prove it."

"Jordan, give up. Superheroes don't exist." I told her. Her eyes widened.

"I have an idea! Tecton always heals!" She exclaimed. "I'll just injure him and when he shows no pain and heals right before our eyes, you'll see I'm right."

"Wait, no, Jordan. That's a bad idea." I tried to stop her, but before I could stop her, she grabbed a spear off one of the displays, let out a battle cry, and threw it at him like a javelin. It stabbed the man right in the leg, the weapon sliding through his skin as he screamed in agony.

"AHH!" He screamed, falling onto the ground. Jordan, Gus, and I stared in horror. "You just threw a spear into my leg! What's wrong with you?"

"Everything." I replied, staring at Jordan. She blushed, realizing her mistake.

"I am so sorry!" She apologized. "I thought you were somebody else!"

"That you wanted to throw a spear at?" He demanded, incredulously.

"I'll go find a doctor." Jordan excused herself, sneaking out of the store. I figured there was probably a fifty-fifty chance of her actually coming back.

"I'm going to go try and find a first-aid kit." I told the man before heading into the back. When I came back, carrying a box of bandages I'd found (seriously, they didn't have anything else in this place?), the man had already removed the spear and was holding his hand tightly against his leg. "I don't see any blood."

"I clot easily." He replied quickly. "In fact, I'm not going to need any bandages."

"Are you sure?" I questioned, frowning.

 **Dani's POV**

Horace bowed his head as Benny gently covered Skylar's body up with a blanket. I couldn't believe that she was just…gone. She'd been one of my best friends over the past year, and even though she did try to kill me a couple of times, she'd changed my life, all our lives, so much. It just seemed so wrong that she wasn't going to be around anymore.

"I can't believe Skylar's gone." Ollie's voice cracked, his hands shaking as tears sprung to his eyes. Man, if I hurt this much over Skylar's death, then I couldn't imagine what he was going through.

"She can't be." Kaz shook his head, gritting his teeth in denial. He turned to Horace. "Mighty Med is the best hospital in the world, in the universe! There's got to be someone or something that can bring her back!" Horace hesitated, glancing at Skylar's still form.

"Horace, please." I'm not sure what I was asking him to do. Logically, I knew that she was gone, and there was no bringing her back, but I still looked at the man pleadingly. "Please."

He hesitated for a moment longer. "Stand back." He eventually told us, his tone serious. We all took a step backwards as he raised his hands to the sky, his eyes closing shut. "Thanatoi bios! Bioi Thanatos!"

I frowned, recognizing the Latin words for 'Life' and 'Death', but was even more shocked when a strange blue light seemed to float down from the sky, into Horace's hands. A very faint, almost invisible symbol of the staff of Hermes appeared above him, snakes entwining themselves around the staff. Kaz, Ollie, and I recognized it instantly as the symbol of Caduceo, the very same symbol on the puzzle we solved to gain entrance to this hospital, so many months ago. The light flowed from Horace's hands into Skylar's body, and after a brief moment, the machines around her, not yet disconnected by nurses, came to life, beeping at a healthy rhythm.

Horace stumbled away from her, the light dying away, as the beeping grew stronger, and Ollie broke away from us to reach Skylar's side. I didn't just need the machines to tell me that she was somehow alive – the black veins were fading away and I could see her chest moving as she breathed deeply, asleep.

"How…" I turned to Horace, speechless.

"She's alive." Ollie murmured, absolutely stunned. Kaz stared at out boss.

"Horace, how did you do that?" He questioned, confused. "Only Caduceo can bring people back to life."

"I am Caduceo." He announced. Everyone in the room, staff or patient, stopped to look at him.

"As in the legendary healer of superheroes?" Alivia gasped.

"No, as in the legendary milkman of superheroes. What do you think?" Horace looked at her as if she was crazy. He turned his attention back to us. "I couldn't tell anyone my true identity for security reasons. Also, everyone kept asking so many follow-up questions."

I couldn't help myself. "But why didn't you save Skylar right away? Why did you hesitate?"

"Here we go with the questions." He sighed in exasperation. "You see, when I use my powers, they have a terrible, irreversible effect of me. I gain a pound right in the hips!" He glanced at his hips. "So embarrassing!"

"It is noticeable." Alivia agreed. Horace nodded, looking upset.

"Also, I only have the power to restore life five times. I only have one left." He added.

"Where am I?" We snapped our heads in Skylar's direction the moment we heard her groggy mumble. She slowly sat up and look around, confused and a little out of it. "What happened?"

"We're back in Mighty Med. It's a long story, but you're going to be okay." Ollie assured her, his voice gentle and soothing. She nodded, before she looked down and froze.

"Where are my hands?" She screamed, beginning to hyperventilate.

"Under the sheet!" Ollie assured her. She didn't relax until she pulled them out and saw them for herself.

"I have been there; it is terrifying." Kaz told her, trying to be sympathetic. Alivia leaned in close to me.

"I think you and Oliver have similar taste in partners." She commented. I rolled my eyes before sitting down on the edge of Skylar's bed. I looked at my brother.

"Hey, listen…I'm sorry." I didn't really specify what I was sorry for, and to be honest, I wasn't too sure if I was apologizing for wanting to kill Skylar earlier, or the way Ollie and I had been fighting lately, or both, but he seemed to understand.

"Me too." He nodded. He looked at Kaz. "Thanks for not giving up on Skylar, and I'm sorry for saying all those mean things to you."

"Yeah, I'm sorry too, man." Kaz replied. "I should have known you weren't a traitor."

"But in our defense, you're a really good actor. You should join the drama club." Alivia told him. She looked at Kaz. "You too."

"What about me?" I inquired. She laughed. "I'm serious."

"Oh." She was surprised by that. "Uh, Dani, you're kinda a lousy liar."

"Am not!" I retorted.

"You are so." Kaz, Oliver, Alivia, and Skylar told me. I glared at all of them, offended.

"Hey, guys? Since we're all apologizing here, I'm sorry for trying to viciously slaughter you guys all those times." Skylar told us, looking guilty.

"It happens." I shrugged it off. Skylar looked at Alivia.

"And I'm sorry about Jaime." She added. Alivia nodded, neither accepting the apology or rejecting it.

"I should go check on her." She replied. "I'll see you guys later."

She walked away, not saying anything else, and headed for Mighty Max. Skylar looked past us at Horace. "Horace, did you gain weight?"

I had to stop myself from laughing. Well, things were back to normal, now all I had to do was figure out a way to tell Ollie that I was dating his best friend. That should be interesting.

 **Barry's POV**

"Hey, I couldn't find a doctor, but I did find this chemical which can eliminate all lingering traces of DNA, including fingerprints." Jordan announced, rushing into the store. I looked up from the comic book in front of me, surprised that she came back. She looked around, confused as to why I was the only one in the store. "Where's the guy?"

"Oh, he left." I replied dismissively. She stared at me.

"He left?" She repeated. I nodded.

"Yup. He pulled out the spear, barely let me give him a band aid, though since he wasn't even bleeding he really didn't need one, then requested the mirror of Zalkanikus. Then, before I could give it to him, he changed his mind and left." I explained. That dude had been so weird.

"Weird." Jordan echoed my thoughts. "What about Gus? He's not going to pop out and try to scare me, is he?"

"He left a while ago too. Said something about a giraffe." I replied, flipping the page. Jordan looked at me.

"Since when do you read comic books?" She questioned. I shrugged, not really having an answer for her. "So, I guess superheroes don't exist, huh?"

I didn't answer right away, because that question was eating at my mind. Superheroes didn't exist, they couldn't exist, but that guy…he didn't bleed. I knew basic first aid, I knew that there was no way that the spear didn't hit an artery. Pulling it out like that, he should have bled out in the store. But there wasn't a single drop. That wasn't humanly possible. "I guess not." I replied to Jordan as I reached for my next comic book: The Adventures of Tecton, Issue 2.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: So Skylar's good again, Horace is Caduceo, and Barry's suspicious about superheroes. Seemed like a good place to leave things. So, what did you guys think of the chapter? Good, bad? In the middle? I want to know!**

 **Anyway, here's the plan for the next few chapters:**

 **Future Tense: November 10** **th**

 **Stop Bugging Me: November 14** **th**

 **Gus' Talk Show: November 21** **st**

 **The Key to Being a Hero; November 22** **nd**

 **November 28** **th** **: The New Kids are Docs**

 **I guess I'll see you guys in a few days! Don't forget to review!**


	25. Future Tense

**Kihonne: Wow, the one time I actually manage to finish the chapter before my deadline, and my town is hit with a series of power outages. Apparently, some birds flew into a pole or some wires. Sorry folks. But I'm back, and I think you're going to like the chapter, so I won't waste much of your time babbling. Oh, and by the way, THERE'S AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE AT THE BOTTOM AUTHOR'S NOTE. DO NOT SKIP IT! Anyway, on with the shoutouts!**

 **Xxx**

 **Duggie Davenport: I'm glad you like it, and I look forward to any and all PMs.**

 **Labgirl2001: I'm glad you liked and found it so funny. As for your feeling about future tense…well, just keep reading. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Algernon: Yeah, I kinda guessed that as well. As for Kani, with everything that has been happening with Skylar, all the characters have been seriously distracted. But now that she's back to normal, it forces them to deal with it now. Trust me, Oliver's going to find out very soon about their little secret. As for Bree's flashlight hands, I'm actually going to change that a little bit, but I think you'll figure it out before I post the chapter by then. I totally agree, though, about the younger heroes being more relatable. And yes, baby Tecton is Ben VanOver. That won't play out much in this story, but I am setting that up for a future story. As for Tecton's girlfriend, I'd say she is aware of him being a superhero (I remember in one episode, Tecton mentions that she said something along the lines of 'you have super hearing, but you never listen'), so she's aware that Ben is likely to have powers as well. Now, the only power I will confirm so far is flying, but I can't give a definite answer to the electrokinesis quite yet, as I don't want to spoil anything, but whether or not you are right, that's a very good guess. I'm glad we got to see the list too, though Queen Hornet is not all that unknown, as we've seen her in Stop Bugging Me. Seeing the list was helpful to me too, since now I know which characters are alive in the canon and I can work with them (in my original draft, I had both Titanio and Captain Atomic dead). I think you're going to like how I handle the plot holes in the future too, since there were quite a number of plot holes and unfinished plotlines in both Mighty Med and Lab Rats. I'm glad you like how I tend to handle those. Now, as for your ideas, the only one I haven't thought too much about is Dr. Gao. Sebastian's character was always underused, so I do want to bring him back at some point, and the Mr. Terror arc was my one of my top three favorite arcs from the entire series (along with the Arcturion and Marcus), so I will definitely be putting a LOT more work into that story, a lot of which will seriously affect The Power of Seven, especially Dani and Oliver. As for Dr. Gao, I might include him in one episode, maybe not. I already have a fairly strong overall arc for Season 2, with a major villain and some interesting character arcs, but I need a couple of chapters to even things out so it doesn't seem completely rushed, and he would make an interesting villain for the characters to deal with during that time, so I will put some serious thought into including him. Thanks for the idea! And here's hoping that we survive until the next election. You're so lucky to have school off for this one, by the way. We didn't get one off for our elections. Anyway, enjoy the bomb shelter, and the chapter, and good luck on surviving until 2020!**

 **Kai is the best: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes, I know the last chapter was pretty fast. Originally, I was going to combine the two, so I ended up shortening the first half a bit to focus on the second half, and when I split them up into two separate chapters, the first one ended up not having the same focus as the second. As for Alivia, you're going to see that here, so I won't spoil. As for Bridget, I don't want to say much because I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say that she will be making appearances in The Power of Seven. There are two characters (one in Lab Rats and one in Mighty Med) whose potential was wasted by the shows, and I intend to fix that with my next story, so you will be seeing more of her then. Anyway, have a good day and I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **FangirlIsh13: Don't worry about it. Believe me, I totally get it about finals. I've had four midterms in the past week. But thank you very much. Her archery abilities would make a pretty good ability, I admit, though it's not going to be HER ability ;) I won't say much more on that for now. I'm glad you enjoyed the kiss, by the way. I totally agree about the finale, though – it was so weird for Chase, who has been known to occasionally be overly suspicious of people's intentions, to just invite this random girl back to his place after just meeting her. Now if it were Kaz, I wouldn't be surprised, but Chase? So out of character. You're right about the Chase/Reese romance not being incorporated, though I think I have a good way to work around it. I won't say much though, in case I change my mind about how I want to handle it later. Legacies won't be tied in very much to the new season, since Legacies is going to be about their kids, but Love and War, the Mighty Med story I'm planning, will be directly connected to The Power of Seven. Kinda like how Arrow and Flash are connected – they'll indirectly affect each other, with the occasional crossover. I will be making some changes to the series – Oliver's crush on Skylar will be more like it was in Mighty Med than Elite Force (I'd say stalker-ism is an understatement to what they have now), and there will be more drama in it, especially during the second season. As for Chase, while I do like his more relaxed view of everything, he will still have a fair bit of seriousness for his character. As for the entirety of season 2, I think you're really going to like what I have planned. And yes, it's time to being the Mr. Terror arc. This is one of my favorite arcs, and I've got serious ideas for it, so I think it's going to be one hell of a treat. As for Barry, I did have him there because he was much closer to the gang, but also because of some plans I have for his character. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Guest: Well, I have a time-travel episode planned, but Spike? How did I forget about him? I am totally going to write a Spike episode. Thanks for the suggestions!**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Future Kaz: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, Barry, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Oliver's POV**

I sighed, leaning on the counter at Mighty Med. After a very long, hard few weeks, everything was back to normal. Skylar, now good again, was in the rec room, trying to relax. Jaime was out on a mission, ready to get back in the world and do some good in the world after he brief stint as a villain. Dani was on her break, but not far away – she and Alivia were sitting on two empty gurneys across the room, talking to each other in whispers. It was weird to see my sister doing that – acting like an actual teenage girl – but it was also fairly amusing to.

As for Kaz and I, we were spending our breaks the way we usually do – me reflecting on how crazy our lives are, and Kaz playing mindless video games.

"What a week," I commented to my best friend, "We travelled to an alien planet, saved Skylar's life, and almost died, like, five times. It's nice to be home, safe and sound."

I sighed. "I'm bored."

"Don't distract me." Kaz told me, not looking up from his game. "I'm using a cheat code to get the high score on this video game." There was a series of beeps coming from the game and he grinned. "I did it! The high score – I achieved my life's goal!"

He was only happy about it for a moment, though. "I'm bored."

I stared at him. "Kaz, you can't use a cheat code to get the high score!" I protested. "That's cheating."

"Yeah. That's what cheat codes are for – to cheat." He looked at me like I was an idiot. "Otherwise, they'd have a different name, like 'honesty codes' or 'Larry Finkle'."

"You need to be careful, Kaz. Everything you do in life determines the kind of person you become." I warned him. "Today, it's cheating on a video game, tomorrow it's cheating on a test, and the next thing you know, you're a homicidal maniac."

"That story took a really dark turn." Dani commented, walking over as Kaz stared at me. She glanced at him. "I see you're the one receiving Ollie's lecture of the day. Sucker."

I chose to ignore that last comment. "Look at me! I do good deeds all the time, and who knows? I could be the next president!" I grinned, reaching for my wallet. "I do have the perfect face for being on money."

I showed them to two bills I'd created online. "Which looks better? Wig, or no wig?"

"Wig." "No wig." They both replied. They looked at each other, surprised by the other's answer, but didn't comment on it, mostly because they didn't have a chance.

Before any of us could say anything, a beam of light appeared before us and a tall man with black hair and a familiar-looking face suddenly appeared. The light died down as he pulled out a circular mirror-like object, frowning at it.

"Uh…what the heck?" Kaz questioned, staring at the man. The stranger grinned. "Who're you?"

"I'm you! Kaz, from the future!" He smirked at us. "S'up?"

S'up? Really? "I'm here on an important mission." Future Kaz continued.

"Okay, hold up. Who are you really?" My sister questioned skeptically. "I mean, sure you look a lot like Kaz, and you look you're from the future, and you did just teleport in here…"

"I buy it." I commented, glancing at her. She nodded.

"Yeah, me too." She agreed after a moment. Kaz shook his head.

"Well I don't." I was surprised. Usually he would be the first to fall for something like this. He looked at his future self suspiciously. "How do I know you're really me?"

"I can do a terrible impression of a robot." Future Kaz offered before swinging his arms stiffly, like a robot. "I am a robot, beep-boop-bee-boo…"

"You really are me!" Kaz beamed excitedly. "This is so cool! And I'm so glad I'm not bald; that was a real concern."

"This is so weird." Dani commented. I nodded.

"I have so many questions." I told him. "What's the future like?"

"Pretty much the same as it is now." Future Kaz replied. "Except we're ruled by giant insects. You know what though? They're actually doing a pretty good job."

"Cool." I grinned. Future Kaz nodded.

"Anyway, I was sent here to stop somebody from turning into a villain in the future and destroying the world."

"Cool." Dani replied. "Who's the villain? Wait, let me guess…Alan!"

"Nope, Oliver." Future Kaz corrected. I stared at him, confused.

"Uh, what?" How could I be evil? "That's impossible…I-I have fancy return address labels. What kind of villain has fancy return address labels?"

"Slaughtermaster." Kaz, Dani, and Future Kaz all replied at the same time.

"Other than Slaughtermaster!" I snapped. Future Kaz held out his circular object. I had thought it was a mirror at first, but now, upon closer inspection, I realized it was a kind of tablet. The only difference between the ones we have now and this one was the shape of it, and the Borromean ring symbol on the back of it, likely supposed to be some sort of company logo.

"See this news report? This is Oliver twenty-five years from now." He told us, showing us the image. I blanched at it, horrified. It was me, of that I had no doubt, but I was sitting on a dead body with a paddle in my hands, like I was in a boat or something.

"Ollie! That is not the proper way to use a canoe!" Dani scolded, as if that were the worst thing wrong with that picture.

"Oh, check out this headline: Approval Rating at All-Time High for George W. Bug." Kaz offered, trying to be a little positive. I, meanwhile, was stricken.

"So I really do become a villain." My god, how could my life turn out so bad?

"Don't worry, Oliver." Future Kaz assured me. "I work for the New League of Heroes, and they sent me here to stop you from doing the one thing that triggers the events that turn you evil."

"Good." I had a chance, at least. "What's the one thing?"

"I probably should have asked that before I left…" Future Kaz hummed. My Kaz chuckled.

"Yeah, he is definitely me." He sounded amused.

"You forgot to ask?" Dani crossed her arms, looking at Future Kaz skeptically. He rolled his eyes.

"Don't give me that look. I just wanted to use the time machine before Calla could change her mind." He defended himself.

"Who's Calla?" I questioned, confused. Future Kaz frowned, then his face cleared.

"Oh, right. You don't know her yet." He nodded to himself. "Uh, she's a scientist. A scientist who really hates it when I borrow her tech."

"Let me guess, we always break it?" Kaz guessed. His future self nodded.

"Every time." He admitted.

"Doesn't your computer have all the information?" I questioned, gesturing. He shook his head.

"No, it doesn't give me all the details." He explained. "It only tells me when I've changed the future. Oh, and it also levitates! Watch!"

He dropped it into the air, but instead of hovering, it hit the ground, cracking the screen. "I think I get why your scientist friend doesn't let you borrow her stuff." I commented.

"Maybe it was the other one that levitates." He shrugged, picking it off the ground. He swiped his hand over the now cracked screen. "Meh, it still works. Good enough."

"So, how will you know if you've stopped Ollie from turning evil?" Dani questioned.

"I'll just use my common sense." Future Kaz replied.

"We're doomed." Kaz decided, shaking his head.

"Wait, I have a question." Dani interrupted. "You're working for the New League of Heroes, and Ollie's evil. Where am I?"

"I have no idea." Future Kaz replied. Dani frowned. "We haven't talked in years."

"Really?" Kaz seemed pretty upset by that. Future Kaz nodded and addressed Dani.

"Well, Oliver turned evil, and then we broke up, and by time the bugs took over, you were just like 'Screw this, I'm out' and you took the wormhole transporter and bailed. Aftershock thinks you're somewhere on Zandor, but I'm not really sure."

"Whoa, hold on, you guys broke up?" I questioned, confused. That would mean that they would have had to have been dating in the first place, which would be weird. Both Kaz and Dani froze. "When do you guys start dating?"

"I'm pretty sure we already are…" Future Kaz looked back at them, then his eyes widened. "Wait, are we still lying to him about that?"

"Uh, guys?" I looked at them, but neither my sister nor my best friend would meet my gaze. "Are you two dating?"

"…Maybe." Kaz admitted after a second. I stared at them. Kaz and Dani, together? My best friend dating my sister? I'm not sure what was worse – the fact that they were together, or the fact that they'd been lying to me about it.

"Seriously?" I demanded, staring. I looked at my sister sharply. "So Kaz is who you've been sneaking out to see?"

"Ollie-" She began, but I shook my head and cut her off.

"You lied to me. Both of you." I added, glaring at Kaz as well. "I can't believe you!"

"C'mon, man, we knew how you'd react like this." Kaz defended their decision. "Why do you think we didn't tell you?"

"I'm only pissed because you lied about it! I thought we didn't lie to each other." That was more directed at my sister than Kaz. Kaz lied all the time, though usually not about stuff this big, but Dani and I had always had such a strong sibling relationship because we trusted each other. How could I trust her now, after I find out that she's been dating my best friend behind my back for who knows how long?

"Uh, guys? It happened." Future Kaz interrupted. We all looked at him. "The one thing, it happened."

"Wait, so you guys lying to me turns me into a villain?" I questioned. He shook his head.

"No, you getting mad about it turns you into a villain." Future Kaz corrected. His younger self frowned.

"How?" He asked.

"Well, it's the first step in a chain of events that turns him into a villain." Future Kaz explained.

"What's the next link?" I questioned, trying to get back to the important topic. I could be mad at Kaz and Dani later, when I wasn't worried about turning homicidal.

"That. Asking that question." Future Kaz replied. I scoffed. "Followed by a scoff."

"So that's it? I'm a villain now? Because of them?" I pointed at Kaz and Dani.

"Hey, whoa, no. Not our fault. You're the one who's overreacting." Dani retorted.

"I'm not talking to you." I snapped, shutting her up.

"I'm going to grow up to become a villain?" I questioned, looking directly at Future Kaz. He shook his head.

"No, of course not." For a moment, I was relieved. "You're not going to grow up at all." Then, he pulled a small, high-tech handgun, also with the Borromean ring symbol on the side of it, out of his back pocket. "See, if I couldn't stop you from turning evil, Plan B of my mission is to terminate you."

I glanced between him and the weapon, shocked. Kaz was supposed to be my best friend, still was, despite him lying to me, and yet here was, ready to kill me just to fulfill some mission.

"I can't believe this." Kaz, the present version of him, commented before grinning widely. "How did I get such a cool job in the future?"

"Kaz!" Dani exclaimed, eyes wide and horrified. Both of them looked at her.

"What?" They questioned. She hesitated, then pointed past their shoulders.

"Ooh! Shiny!" She exclaimed. Both of them turned to see what was so shiny, and she grabbed me and present Kaz by the back of the shirts and dragged us towards the door.

 **Skylar's POV**

It was a little weird, being back at Mighty Med, I had to admit. But after all that time spent with the Annihilator, it was nice to be home…well, as close to home as I was going to get without my powers.

I smiled when I ran into Alan in the rec room. I'd tried to find the rest of my friends here, but they were all nowhere to be found. Even Alivia, whom I could have sworn I spotted earlier, was MIA. But hey, at least I had Alan. Though, come to think of it, that wasn't much of a comfort.

"It feels so good not being evil anymore." I commented to him. "It's really freed up time in my schedule for me to do my scrapbooking."

"I guess you don't have time in your schedule to come up with more interesting stories." He commented dryly, walking away. I shrugged it off, and walked over to Mesmira.

"Hey, how's it going?" I greeted her. She just glared at me, and motioned between me and the eye in her hand to signify that she was watching me. A little surprised, I moved on, heading over to Surge, He was always good for a fun time. "Surge, up top!" I exclaimed, raising my hand for a high-five. But instead of giving me an ordinary high-five, he silently electrocuted me and stormed off before I could recover.

I frowned, hurt. Everyone in Mighty Med seemed to be avoiding me, or being fairly mean to me. I looked around for someone, anyone, I thought would actually talk to me, and eventually, my gaze landed on Spotlight. The older hero was near the refrigerator, one hand on the wall as he chatted up Nurse Amelia.

"Spotlight." I walked up to him. He sighed, and stepped away from his conversation with the nurse, but he clearly wasn't happy to.

"Yes?" He questioned, sounding annoyed. I frowned.

"Why is everyone mad at me?" I asked, concerned.

"You do remember the part where you turned evil, turned half the people here evil, and then hospitalized the other half, right?" He questioned, giving me a look. I looked away, wincing at the look in his eyes. Right, I'd been trying to forget about that.

"But you're not mad at me, right?" I asked, hopefully. He raised an eyebrow. "You're not hurt, and you didn't get turned evil! What could I have possibly done to you?"

"You turned my best friend, Surge, evil," he nodded at the electrokinetic hero across the room, "who attacked Spark, who also happens to be my friend, before you turned her evil."

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't ask for the Annihilator to turn me evil, and I would never hurt Spark, Surge, you, or any of my fellow heroes on purpose, and you know that." I protested. Spotlight sighed.

"Try convincing everyone else that; you're the most hated person in this hospital." He chuckled darkly. "Alan's loving it."

I frowned. "Why?"

"Because he used to be the most hated person here." Spotlight explained. He glanced at the door leading out of the rec room, where Nurse Amelia was waiting. "Now if you excuse me, I've got a phone number to score."

I rolled my eyes as he strutted over to his girl-of-the-week, shaking my head. Thankfully, I wasn't left alone for long, as Alivia walked in a moment later. "You don't hate me, right?" I asked her hesitantly. Thankfully, she shook her head.

"Skylar, no one hates you…" She trailed off, watching as several heroes and nurses practiced throwing darts, the headshot of Alan that they used to use having been replaced with a headshot of myself. "Correct, I don't hate you. Them on the other hand…"

I looked at them in despair. How was I going to make things right?

 **Oliver's POV**

To my surprise, Dani led us straight towards the Domain. "Why would we come to the Domain?" Kaz questioned as we walked in. "It's such an obvious place for future me to look for us."

"It's too obvious." My sister reasoned. "He'll never come here because he'll think that we believed it was obvious. We'd have to be idiots to come here…" Her eyes widened. "Crap."

"I knew you'd come here." Future Kaz declared, pushing open the door and walking into the store. "It was so obvious!"

I sent Dani a look, and she smiled sheepishly. "I really have to stop overestimating Kaz's intelligence."

"Yeah, we'll probably survive longer that way." Even Kaz agreed with her on that.

"Okay, you have three options." Future Kaz announced, once again aiming his weapon at me. "You can be sucked into a black hole, I can throw you into a black hole, or I can release you,"

"Release me!" I exclaimed, taking the third option.

"Into a black hole." Future Kaz finished. I glared at him.

"You paused on purpose!" I accused. He shrugged, not denying it. I turned to his younger self. "Kaz, talk to yourself! Convince Future You not to terminate me!"

"Alright, I'll do my best, but as you know, my best is, like, a D+." Kaz replied. He walked over to his future self and headed towards the door where they could talk in private.

"Ollie?" My sister asked after a moment, her voice soft. I sighed and looked at her, remembering why I was mad at her. "Look, I'm sorry that you're upset, but…look, I really like Kaz, and I have for a long time, and he likes me-"

"I'm not upset because you two are dating." I told her. She raised an eyebrow. "I'll admit, I'm not thrilled about it – it's weird, Dee. But you lied to me."

"Technically, you never once asked 'Hey Dani, are you dating Kaz?'." She pointed out. I crossed my arms. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kaz and Future Kaz arguing, with a lot of hand pointing.

"Alright, then you hid it from me. What happened to us having no secrets? I tell you everything!" I reminded her. She sighed.

"We're growing up, Ollie. We're not always going to be able to tell each other everything." She told me. I opened my mouth to object. "But you're right; we should have told you about this. It was just…complicated."

"Complicated." Well, I suppose that would be the right word. I sighed. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

She sighed. "I don't know." She admitted. "At first, we wanted time to figure it out, and then, like, a week later, Skylar started trying to kill us, and there was never a good time."

"You could have made the time." I muttered, remembering the numerous nights Dani and I had argued about her sneaking out. I knew now that she'd been sneaking out to see Kaz, and they'd both lied about it.

I didn't know who I was more annoyed with: Kaz or Dani. Dani and I had always had the perfect sibling relationship – we had no secrets, we covered for each other with our Mom, and even when we disagreed, we rarely fought. But Kaz was my best friend, and he was dating my sister. I knew Kaz better than anyone, and if he was actually choosing to put our friendship at risk by dating her, he really had to be into Dani, and for a long time. He should have told me; I knew about every other girl he'd ever been into. That's what best friends were for!

My train of thought was interrupted as Kaz walked back over to us. "So, is he going to send me into a black hole?" I questioned.

"Actually, that never came up." Kaz admitted, frowning. Dani and I both stared at him.

"Then what was that whole argument about?" My sister questioned.

"The proper way to angrily point your finger." He grinned in response. I stared at him, wondering how someone could be as stupid as he was sometimes, then pushed past him to address the time traveler.

"Future Kaz, c'mon. It's me! We're best friends! Partners in crime!" I tried to remind him. He shook his head.

"Actually, we haven't been best friends since you found out I was dating Dani." He replied. I glanced at Kaz and Dani, both of whom despaired at the news. Dani looked downright guilty, obviously thinking it was her fault, and Kaz looked horrified at the very thought. "And your new partner in crime is the villain Skullface. You're hilariously mismatched; you like things to be neat and he has a skull for a face."

He chuckled once, then pulled out his weapon again.

 **Xxx**

 **Skylar's POV**

I paced the room, waiting for the other heroes in the hospital to come back to the rec room from the cafeteria. The Human Blade stood behind a table of fruits, waiting a lot more patiently than I was.

"It's going to be fine, Skylar." Alivia told me reassuringly, from her spot on the couch. I nodded and glanced at the door as it swung open. Alan walked in and headed straight for Alivia.

"Hey, Geminus! Guess what? I walked up to Gamma Girl earlier, and instead of scrambling my insides with gamma rays, she only shoved me into a wall!"

"Well look who's Mr. Popular." Alivia chuckled, smiling a lit. I frowned, still not really sure how she and Alan ended up being some definition of friends.

"Skylar, what are you doing?" Alan questioned, looking at me, then at the table. I smiled.

"I paid the Human Blade to make free smoothies for everyone." I explained. "That way, I won't be the most hated person in Mighty Med anymore!"

"WHAT? No! You can't!" Alan demanded. Alivia and I both stared at him. "I mean, I wouldn't give everyone free smoothies if I were you."

"That's because you're stingy and hate happiness." I replied.

"True, but the bigger issue is…people hate smoothies." He told me. "They're too smooth and too delicious, and people hate too much of anything."

I looked at him. "You're crazy."

"Too crazy." He pointed out. "That's why people hate me, or used to."

"Sure." I rolled my eyes. Just then, the rest of the heroes walked into the rec room.

"Hey guys." I approached them. "The Human Blade is going to make you all fresh smoothies, my treat."

"Sweet!" Surge pushed past me on his way towards the table. Spotlight chuckles and followed his best friend, but not before patting me on the shoulder. The rest of the heroes gave me smiles as they lined up.

I smiled as the Human Blade raised his arms, each with a set of knives at the end of them instead of hands, and the blades began to spin as she chopped fruit.

Suddenly, something hit me from behind and I stumbled forward, right into Surge. Surge, unprepared to be hit from behind, reached out for something to keep his balance, and accidently grabbed the Human Blade's shoulder. Between the Human Blade's own power, and the electrical boost from Surge, the Human Blade's blade-hands went out of control and flew off his arms. They flew across the room, one cutting off Solar Flare's ponytail before hitting the doors to the rec room, and the other chopping Lizardman's tail clean off before imbedding itself in the wall.

"Skylar! Look what you did!" Philip exclaimed. "Why id you push Surge like that?"

"I-I didn't!" I protested.

"Someone could have lost a body part that doesn't grow back!" Philip continued.

"I didn't push him!" I told him, but nobody believed me.

"I saw you." Philip retorted. "And you cut off Solar Flare's ponytail!" I looked back to see the blonde hero glaring at me, her ponytail clutched in her right hand. "Now she looks like a pony with no tail! That's standing on two legs, and wearing a Solar Flare costume!"

And then it was even worse than before, with everyone hating me more and more. They closed in on me and I did the first thing I could think of – run.

I bolted out the door and into the hall, the other heroes right on my tail. I wasn't able to lose them until I slipped into one of the unused operating rooms. I waited until I knew they were gone, then slid down the wall to the floor, tears prickling in the corner of my eyes.

How could I let this happen? How could I screw up so badly that I would lose everyone in my life? Sure, I had Oliver, Dani, and Kaz, but it wasn't the same. They were my friends, but they could never understand what it meant to be out there, fighting bad guys and saving the world the way my fellow heroes did. It was that special bond between all of us that I cherished, and I screwed it up. If I hadn't tried to fight the Annihilator on my own that one time, if I had stopped him from turning me evil, none of this would have happened.

Well, I guess it was too late for me to fix any of that. Then, I guess it was time to really give them something to be angry about.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Kaz, please! Don't do this!" I pleaded with my best friend's future self. "I'll give you anything you want! You want money? Wig or no wig?" I started reaching for my wallet, but he spoke up before I could pull it out.

"We don't have money in the future. It's a purely pollen-based economy."

I gulped nervously and backed up as far as I could, until my back hit the cashier's counter. I reached back for the first thing I could reach – a spray bottle full of cleaning spray – and sprayed it at Kaz. I figured, maybe if I could distract the older one, I could run.

"Hey, that's my second favorite shirt!" "That's my third favorite shirt!" They both protested. Younger Kaz looked up at Future Kaz, confused.

"Third favorite shirt?" He repeated. Future Kaz grinned.

"Yeah, we get a really cool shirt next year." He explained.

"Something to look forward to!" My Kaz grinned. Future Kaz went to raise his weapon again, but suddenly, his tablet beeped. He looked at it, surprised.

"Hey! It looks like spraying that shirt changes the future! Oliver doesn't grow up to become a villain anymore!" Future Kaz exclaimed. I sagged in relief.

"Thank god." I murmured. But, my relief was only short-lived, because before my eyes, Future Kaz's entire image changed. A dark beard began to grow rapidly, and his clothes morphed from normal, everyday stuff to a dark, menacing-looking cloak.

"But now I'm a villain!" He exclaimed. My Kaz and Dani both stared at him, stepping closer to me. "Now, if you excuse me, I have some unfinished business to attend to. Staring with…" He looked around and swiped a Crusher action figure off a nearby display. "Buying this action figure!"

He pushed past us and placed a handful of pollen on the counter, then raised his chin. "Now, to wreak havoc on the city!" He declared before rushing out of the store.

"I'm a villain? This is terrible!" Kaz exclaimed.

"On the bright side, that action figure is probably worth ten times as much pollen in the future." I offered.

"I don't want to grow up to be a villain!" Kaz continued, ignoring me. "I want to grow up to be one of those wacky guys who stand outside car dealerships doing this!" He began to wave his arms around wildly.

"Those are just dancing balloon men." Dani informed him, frowning. He frowned.

"They are?" He sounded pretty disappointed. Dani and I both nodded. "This is the worst day ever!"

Then I noticed it; the slow appearance of black chin hairs on his chin. "Um, Kaz. Your chin."

He reached up to scratch it, but stopped when he felt the hairs. "You know what this means?" Dani questioned.

"I have stubble!" Kaz beamed brightly. "I have stubble; this is the BEST day ever. But my shirt's still wet. This is the WORST day ever!"

He pulled off his shirt and began to turn it inside out. "Future you said he had a score to settle, but where would he go?" Dani questioned. I looked at Kaz.

"Quick! Think of everything you hate!" I ordered. He looked at me, displeased.

"Do I have to?" He questioned, before pulling his shirt back on. "You know I hate thinking."

"I know where he's going!" Dani and I came to the same conclusion at the same time.

 **Skylar's POV**

Alan stopped me in the hall before I could walk into the rec room with the massive laundry cart full of presents. "What is that?" He questioned, looking at the pile of presents.

"I'm going to give presents to all the heroes and staff at Mighty Med." I announced.

"WHAT?" He demanded, shocked. "You can't do that! It's impossible to buy friends – I know, I've tried."

I laughed bitterly. "Oh, these aren't nice presents." I assured him. "I got people the most hurtful gifts I could think of. For Horace, a video of bridges being destroyed. For Philip, an oversized hat to make his head feel even smaller."

"But then people will hate you more than they already do." Alan frowned. I nodded.

"I don't care. I've had so much bad stuff happen to me this year: losing my powers, becoming evil, almost kissing Oliver." I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the very thought. "The only good thing in my life was all my friends here at Mighty Med, and now I don't even have that! So, if everyone's going to hate me for no reason, I might as well give them a real reason to hate me."

I steeled myself for the horrible reaction that I knew I was about to get before pushing the cart into the rec room. As expected, everyone was waiting for me. "Attention everyone!" I shouted, placing the gift boxes on the ground. "I've called you all here because-"

"Because I am a maniac and must be stopped!" To my genuine surprise, Alan burst into the room, screaming at the top of his lungs before he began to smash and destroy the presents.

"Alan, what is wrong with you?" I demanded, staring at him.

"I am a maniac and I must be stopped!" He shouted.

"No!" I tried to take one of the presents away from him. "I got everyone together to give them those presents."

"Don't try to stop me!" Alan snapped at me, pulling harder on the gift.

"But you just said 'I'm a maniac and I must be stopped'." Spotlight pointed out, watching us with a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

"Well, I misspoke!" Alan snapped before throwing the present in his hands at a nearby wall. He raised a hand and before I could react, he used his telekinesis to send the cart rolling right into me. I fell into the cart as it rolled across the floor. I quickly sat up, flipping my hair out of my face as I looked over to edge to see Alan destroy the rest of the presents.

"What is wrong with you?" Philip roared, furious. "You didn't just destroy our presents; you ruined all this lovely wrapping paper! And the bows! You, sir, are a monster!"

All the heroes turned on Alan, fury in their eyes. Enough fury, in fact, for them to start throwing darts and knives at a picture of his head, instead of mine. I watched them for a second, then walked over to Alan and pulled him off to the side.

"I know what you did." I told him, getting right to the point. I mean, I couldn't believe he actually did that for me, but it couldn't be more obvious that it was what he intended on happening.

"The elevator smelled like that before I got on! I swear!" He exclaimed in a rush, a guilty look on his face.

"I know you wanted everyone to stop hating me, so you took the bullet yourself." I told him. I glanced at the picture of him. "And the knives and darts. And whatever that guy's throwing." For some inexplicable reason, the Defroster was throwing pale greyish-purple goo at the picture.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Alan lied. I smiled.

"I know you like to act all mean and tough, but deep down, you're kind of a sweetheart." I continued.

"I'm not a sweetheart!" He scoffed.

"I said kind of a sweetheart!" I snapped. Dude, don't ruin the moment!

"Skylar, I only did this because people should do what they're good at, and I'm good at being hated." He insisted. I smiled.

"Well, just know that, even if now you're the most hated person in Mighty Med, not everyone hates you." I pulled him in for a quick hug, then, after giving him one last smile, headed off to find Spotlight and Alivia.

 **Oliver's POV**

Sure enough, we found Future Kaz at Logan High, tearing posters and hand-made flyers off the walls in a mad fit. "Dude, really?" Dani questioned, approaching the time traveler.

"This place caused me so much misery that I'm going to tear down every spirit week and pep rally poster in here!" He announced. Dani looked at Kaz.

"Okay, you are a pathetic supervillain." She told him.

"And then send the entire school into a blackhole and erase it from the face of the Earth!" Future Kaz finished.

"Wow, we really do pause a lot." Kaz commented. Future Kaz nodded in agreement.

"You can't destroy the school! There's a basketball game in the gym; there are students here." I told him.

"I don't care." Future Kaz retorted. "That's the number two trait of being a villain: not caring. And I don't care what number one is!"

He reached towards his gun and I sprang into action, lunging at him. However, it appeared that the future version of my best friend was expecting it, as he grabbed me by the back of the shirt and threw me into the nearby lockers. I groaned as my head hit the metal surface and I hit the ground, dazed.

I didn't entirely see what Dani tried to do, but she must have tried something similar, because one second she was on her feet and the next, Future Kaz had flipped her onto her back. She landed on the ground hard, the air rushing from her lungs.

Even Present Kaz tried to stop his future self, swing at his head as hard as he could, but Future Kaz either dodged or blocked everyone of my best friend's blows. "You can't beat me!" He announced, grabbing Kaz's arms and pushing him away. "I'm you. I know every move you've got!"

"Yeah?" Our Kaz smirked, not at all deterred. "Well, I know your every weakness."

He reached forward and grabbed his future self by the ears, pulling as hard as he could. Future Kaz did the same, tugging at Kaz's ears roughly. "Watch the hair!" They both shouted at each other, annoyed.

Eventually, both Kaz and Future Kaz pushed away from each other, realizing that the ear pulling wasn't going to work out. Future Kaz tried grabbing our Kaz, but the younger of the two ducked and pushed him into my locker. Dani's locker swung open a result, the lock having broken last week and she hadn't replaced it yet, and a lacrosse stick and hockey stick fell out, hitting the ground with clangs.

They each grabbed one – Future Kaz taking the lacrosse stick and Kaz taking the hockey stick – and began to use them as weapons, swinging them at each other.

Meanwhile, Dani and I were slowly recovering from the hard hits we took. My sister dragged herself out of the way, crawling slowly with a pained look on her face and one hand held to her tailbone. I snuck around the edge of the lobby, trying to stay out of the way, until I reached Dani's locker.

Dani got there at the same time I did and I handed her the second hockey stick from her locker, while I took the remaining lacrosse stick. "How do you even fit all of these in here?" I questioned rhetorically. She shrugged and looked at the Future and Present Kazes. Future Kaz appeared to be winning, my best friend pinned against the lockers and unable to escape.

"I got this." I muttered, raising my stick high and charging at Future Kaz. I hit him between the shoulder blades, sending him stumbling into the lockers while Kaz bolted to the side. Future Kaz's weapon hit the ground, rattling against the tiles once before going still.

"Kaz!" Dani called, using the hockey stick to pass him the weapon. It slid to his feet, her aim perfectly on point. Our Kaz picked it up and pointed it at his future self just as Future Kaz turned around to face us.

"This thing's fully charged! Stay back, or I'll use it!" He threatened. Future Kaz looked at him warily, knowing that he wasn't lying.

"I've seen the future, and we're a villain." He told his younger self. "Just accept it!"

Kaz took a deep breath, a strange light in his eyes. "Well, maybe I can't change you, but I can stop you from hurting anyone." He announced and then, to my horror, he turned the weapon on himself, aiming it at his own chest.

"Whoa, Kaz…" Dani stopped mid-step, one hand raised cautiously. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to send myself into a blackhole!" He exclaimed, his voice fast and loud, the only thing that betrayed how scared shitless he was of this decision. "That way, I won't exist in the present, and I won't become a villain in the future!"

"Kaz, don't!" I shouted, pushing past both my sister and Future Kaz.

"Oliver, he's threatening to destroy the entire school." He reminded me, his hands shaking.

"Yeah, well we care about you a hell of a lot more than we do school!" Dani retorted. I nodded, agreeing with her.

"Kaz, give me the weapon." I ordered, reaching for it. He flinched backwards, his finger jumping on the trigger. But before he could press it, Future Kaz's tablet beeped again, announcing a change to the future. "Stop!"

Kaz did, eyeing the table. Future Kaz looked at it, surprised. But we didn't need to read the headlines to know what had happened – Future Kaz's clothes changed back to normal, and both the future and present version lost their facial hair. "I'm no longer a villain!" Future Kaz grinned.

"Awesome!" Kaz grinned. "What changed?"

"Remember this morning when I told you that your decisions determine the kind of person you become?" I said, smiling. "Well, you're not a villain anymore because you were willing to sacrifice yourself to save others."

"Yeah." Future Kaz nodded, looking at the tablet. "Now Dani's a villain."

"What?" Kaz and I stared at my sister, surprised, while she just looked at Future Kaz.

"You've got to be kidding me." She muttered. Future Kaz grinned.

"I am. Just wanted to screw with you. Apparently, you're now running Theodore Roach's election campaign." He admitted, looking at the headlines. I let out a sigh of relief. At least we didn't have to worry about Dani becoming a homicidal maniac. My sister, on the other hand, looked fairly weirded out that she was running a bug's presidential campaign. "Well, my work here is done. I think; I was never totally sure what Geminus wanted me to do."

"Wait, Liv sent you back here to kill me?" I questioned. Well, she wasn't getting a birthday present now.

"No, Liv said to save you. Nyx was like, 'if it doesn't work out, here's a blackhole gun'." He shrugged.

"I suggest avoiding this Nyx person." Dani commented to me. I nodded in agreement.

"I am so glad I got to meet you." Kaz told his future self, handing over the weapon. "I can't wait to grow up to be you."

"Hey, can you do me a favor?" Future Kaz looked at him imploringly. "Start flossing. You have no idea how much dental work we need."

"I can't make any promises." Kaz replied, shrugging. Future Kaz nodded, having expected that answer, then pressed a button on his tablet. A beam of light appeared next to him.

"Wait, before you go, I have a question." I approached him. "Now that I'm not a villain the future, what am I?"

Future Kaz looked at him tablet. "I don't know, but it turns out, your face is actually on a five dollar bill." I grinned. "Which we use to wipe our butts."

"Again with the pauses!" Okay, now I was going to have to break Kaz of that habit just to ensure he wouldn't do stuff like this in the future.

"Oliver, Dani, Me." He nodded at us in farewell before stepping into the beam of light. The moment he was gone, Kaz looked between Dani and I.

"So, uh…I think we need to talk about, you know…" He chuckled, looking more at me than Dani.

"Look, Ollie. I'm going to say this one more time and that's it." She stated before looking at me. "I'm sorry that you feel betrayed. But Kaz and I are entitled to some privacy, and the only reason we didn't tell you was because we were trying to figure this all out."

"I would have given you your privacy. But you lied to me. You never lie to me." I argued.

"You're seriously going to be pissed at me about this?" She demanded incredulously.

"I'm pissed at both of you for this." I corrected her. She shook her head at me, then closed her eyes.

"Okay, fine. Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "I've got soccer practice in an hour, and I'd like to go home and grab a spare change of clothes first."

"We're not done talking about this." I told her. She nodded.

"Actually, we are." She leaned forward and kissed Kaz on the cheek. "I'll see you later." She told him before stalking out. Kaz and I watched her go.

After a minute, Kaz cleared his throat. "Uh, just to be clear, why aren't you mad at me?"

"Because you're practically a chronic liar." I replied. "But I can't think of a single time Dani has lied to me in the past. About anything. And unlike you, I, apparently, can't tell when she's lying to me."

"But I made out with your sister." He replied, surprised. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. That wasn't really an image I wanted in my head. "Several times!"

"A, gross." I shuddered. "And B, please don't do that in front of me."

"No promises." Kaz replied. He looked at me. "So you're only mad at her? Because, for the record, I was the one who suggested not telling you."

"I figured." I sighed. "Look, I'm just annoyed right now. Give me a couple of days, and we'll probably be back to normal."

"Alright." Kaz nodded. "And we're cool, right?"

"Yeah, we're cool." I assured him.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? Good, bad, in-between? Oh, and before anyone asks, I promise that Dani and Oliver will get over their little fight pretty soon. Let me know! Oh, and here's the schedule for the next few weeks:**

 **Gus' Talk Show: November 20** **th**

 **The Key to Being a Hero: November 21** **st**

 **The New Kids are Docs: November 28** **th**

 **Okay, you may have noticed the slight change in plans. The next chapter I will be doing will be Gus' Talk Show, not Stop Bugging Me. I decided to skip it, since it's not really plot relevant for the story. But here's the deal with Gus' Talk Show: basically, it's a Q &A. Send in any and all questions you have for me and/or the characters. If you've read the Lab Assistant (again, I suggest you do), then you've seen this before. Here are the rules:**

 **Ask any questions you guys can think of. Send them in through either a PM, or a review. There is no limit to the number of questions you can ask, or to the number of characters you can ask questions to. You can ask questions to any of the characters, or myself.**

 **I will answer as many questions as I can, however, I will skip the question if it's already been asked, if I don't know how to answer it, if it's religious/political (someone always gets offended with those questions, so I'm avoiding those topics altogether), or if I deem it too inappropriate for the story. Only questions will be answered. I don't accept dares in this story, or any other, so don't bother sending them in.**

 **The more questions that are asked, the longer the chapter will be, so send in as many as you can. You have until 8:00 P.M. EST on November 20** **th** **to submit your questions. At that point, I will upload the chapter. If I haven't received your question by then, then I'm afraid you're out of luck.**

 **Alright, so those are the only rules. Oh, and unlike the Lab Assistant, this will be my ONLY Q &A for this story, so if you don't submit a question, you won't get another chance to until The Power of Seven, if I choose to do a Q&A for that story. Anyway, I can't wait to see what you guys come up with, so please send in your questions! See you guys next time!**


	26. Gus' Talk Show

**Kihonne: Alright folks, here's the one and only, Gus' Talk Show! But before I get onto the chapter, here's the shoutouts!**

 **Xxx**

 **FangirlIsh13: Yeah, maybe he is taking it a bit better than expected. I figure, Kaz and Dani are the two most important people in his life – he knows them better than anyone, so some part of him had to at least suspect that they liked each other, whether he wants to admit it or not. I'm glad you liked the chapter so much, especially the Skylar/Alan stuff. And thank you for submitting your questions!**

 **LabGirl2001: I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for your questions.**

 **Kai is the best: I'm glad you liked it, especially Oliver and Dani's relationship. As for who I am bringing back, I'm afraid I can't give that secret up quite yet. I do promise that it won't be Gao. Razor Claw would be interesting to bring into the story. I will consider that. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Algernon: Yeah, you don't need to be too worried about those two. I didn't have Oliver freak out too much, because I figure it's probably not the first time Dani's screwed up like that, and some part of him had to have known that that Kaz and Dani had feelings for each other, even if it wasn't a conscious realization. As for Nyx, you're on the right track, and I think you're going to find her character…intriguing, I think would be right word. She's one of those characters that will get a lot more expansion on a later date. Oh, and thank you for your questions. Enjoy!**

 **PiLot guest: Ha! Most of the conflict over? Oh, honey, we're merely in the eye of the storm. As for Nyx, I'm glad you liked her name! Anyway, thanks for your questions, and enjoy!**

 **IAMGUEST: Thanks so much, for the compliment and the questions!**

 **Avaoreo1112: Don't worry about it. I know how hard life can be. I'm glad that I could be of some help, and feel free to ask me for any advice, in general or a specific story. I'd be happy to help you to the best of my ability. Anyway, thanks for the questions, and enjoy the chapter!**

 **Kihonne Q & A: Thanks for the questions. And thank you for putting them by character – it makes it easier for me to organize them.**

 **Duggie Davenport: Thanks for the questions.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Okay, anyway, I hope you enjoy. Thank you to everyone who sent in questions! Also, I don't own Mighty Med. I only own me, Dani, Alivia, Barry, and these answers.**

Gus smirked from his seat, tapping his fingers against the circular counter in the center of Mighty Med's ER. On either side of the counter, a couch had been dragged out from the rec room for people to sit on. Gus raised his chin and smiled at the camera that Philip was operating.

"Welcome!" He exclaimed, grinning. "My name is Gus Isaacs, and I'm going to be your host for tonight's episode of the Gus Isaac's Talk Show! Let's meet our guests, shall we?"

He looked down at his queue cards before grinning back at the camera. "First up is our favorite D- student, Kaz Broadman!"

Kaz beamed at the camera, walking into the room wearing a regular t-shirt and jeans. He relaxed onto the couch on Gus' left, grinning.

"S'up." He grinned, arms behind his head.

"Next up, the only guy I know who insists that sweater vests beat out t-shirts, Alan Diaz!" Gus continued. Alan, wearing his best sweater vest, walked out from the hallway and sat down on the couch nearest to him.

"That's because sweater vests trump anything you Normos would wear." He snapped. Gus shrugged and continued.

"Our next guess is one of the many beautiful, identical woman on her planet, Skylar Storm!" He declared. Skylar smiled at the camera, waving as she walked out, wearing a pretty, red, sleeveless dress. She sat down on the same couch as Alan, but on the opposite end of it, closer to the center of the room.

"Hey everyone." She greeted, crossing her legs.

Gus cleared his throat. "Our next guest is also a foreigner to this place, though she's quite at home on our American soil: Alivia McLean, AKA Geminus!"

Alivia stepped out from the hallway, wearing her favorite green dress. She sat down next to Skylar. "I'm sorry," she looked at Skylar, "but how did we get Horace to agree to all this?"

"Uh, all proceeds have to go towards repairing some bridge in California, and we have to wipe Gus' memory when it's all done." Skylar replied. Alivia nodded.

"Got it." She agreed.

"Next, our favorite superhero lover and usually referred to as the 'smart one', Oliver Short!" Gus continued. Oliver walked out from the entrance to Mighty Med, wearing a nice jacket and a white shirt underneath. He sat down next to Kaz.

"It's not exactly a competition." He commented, glancing at his best friend. Kaz nodded, chuckling.

"You're right about that." He agreed.

"Next up, she's definitely the athlete in her family, Dani Short!" Gus continued. Dani walked out from the same entrance as her brother, wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a Batman t-shirt. Alivia looked at her in exasperation.

"I picked out a dress for you!" She exclaimed.

"And I told you, I don't do dresses." The short hair girl insisted before squeezing in between Oliver and Kaz.

"And last but not least, the self-proclaimed Sexiest Chief of Staff and Vice Chancellor of Medical Administration, Dr. Horace Diaz!" Gus announced. Horace stepped out from the hall, wearing his usual Normo outfit – a dark jacket and dress pants. He didn't sit down, but instead leaned on the back of couch behind Alan.

"Alright!" Gus looked at his queue cards. "We have a large number of questions tonight, so let's get started. The first set came from FangirlIsh13. Uh, thank you for the compliments. Now, Kaz and Dani, the first question is for you."

"Told you they'd be obsessed with us." Dani smirked teasingly at her boyfriend.

"If Oliver was out of the picture, do you think you two would have ended up together, or even met in the first place?" Gus read the question out loud.

"Uh…" They both looked at each other.

"We still would have met, that's for sure." Dani answered, obviously taking the easy part of the question. "I mean, it wasn't even Ollie who introduced us."

"Long story, there was an accident on a daycare trip when we were 5." Kaz explained. "We were at the pier and Dani fell off a boardwalk-"

"I was pushed!" She insisted, glaring at him like they'd had this conversation before.

"She just doesn't want to admit that she was a klutz at that age." Oliver mentioned. She hit him in the arm, glaring at him in annoyance.

"Anyway, Kaz's brother was the one who pulled me out of the water, and then Ollie ran over to see I was okay, and I was upset, and so Kaz offered me his ice cream cone. Then I may or may not have shoved it in his face, and that's kinda how we all met, so I don't think that would have changed, whether or not Ollie was there or not." She commented, a little laugh in her tone when she mentioned the ice cream.

"I don't think we would have been friends, though." Kaz added thoughtfully. "I mean, I thought cooties were real, and you hated being reminded that you were, in fact, a girl, and I'm pretty sure Oliver spent three years refereeing us, so if he wasn't there, I think we would never have talked again."

"Probably." Dani agreed.

"Okay, next one is for Skylar. Here's what FangirlIsh13 had to say: 'Oh my gods, I'd just like to tell you that I think that your dark side is completely badass, and I absolutely love both sides of you! My question to you is this. Did you have a Superhero Trainer when you lived on Caldera? If not, how did you rise to the Skylar Storm you are today?"

"Oh, thank you?" Skylar smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "As for how I became the Skylar Storm I had today, it actually started back with a Calderan ritual. On my planet, they consider the age of majority thirteen, so at age twelve, we're all supposed to spend three months on another planet so that we can learn diplomacy and about another planet's culture. I was assigned Earth, and the hero that was supposed to guide me while I was here was a superhero named Crossbow. She was only a few years older than me, but she had already been doing the superhero thing for a while, and she offered to show me some skills. I helped her with a couple of missions – I guess you could say I was her sidekick for a while – and when I had to go back to Caldera, I'd already fallen in love with the feeling of helping people, so I continued my training on my own."

"Okay, Oliver, you're up." Gus announced. "So, aside from some compliments about how you're an incredible brother, there was just one question for you: Say that Dani was evil or the kind of sister that looked down on you. How would your life be different from what it is now?"

"Uh," Oliver looked at his sister, who had leaned back in her seat to give him a stern look, clearly challenging his response. "It would be less interesting, that's for sure. Dani, even more than Kaz, has the habit of making sure I take a break from important stuff to relax a bit, and according to them, that's good for me."

"It is." They both insisted at the same time.

"And I have to say that my sister is a good balance for Kaz and I. She keeps us in check." He added.

"And it gives you someone to lecture." Dani added. Oliver sent her a glare.

"She's not wrong, man." Gus offered, not being very helpful. "Anyway, Alan, this last one is for you. Have you met Hapax the Elder and/or are related to him in anyway?"

Alan looked at him strangely. "Who's Hapax the Elder?" He questioned.

"I think that answers that question." Gus decided. "On to the next set! These next questions come from LabGirl2001! Geminus, you're up first."

"Okay." The red head leaned forward in her seat, ready for her first question. Gus smirked while reading it.

"Who's your favorite: Oliver, Dani, or Kaz?"

"Uh…" She looked at the three Normos, a nervous smile on her face. Dani, Kaz, and Oliver were all looking at her expectantly. "Do I have to answer that?"

"Yes." Dani interrupted Gus before he could response. She looked at her best friend, smirking. "And remember, if you don't say it's me, I'll hate you forever."

"Okay." Alivia chuckled. "In that, case Oliver's my favorite. He's easier to talk to about stuff, and doesn't always get me into trouble."

"I nearly get you suspended one time…" Kaz muttered, shaking his head. Gus glanced down at his questions.

"Dani, Kaz, what are your favorite traits about each other?" He asked. Dani considered it.

"He's always making me laugh, and not always on purpose." She added the last bit with a giggle. Kaz rolled his eyes.

"I would have to say her laugh. Don't know why, but it always makes me smile." Kaz replied, shrugging. Behind him, Oliver pretended to gag.

"Skylar, you're up." Gus addressed her. "Is there something that you like about Oliver? At all?"

"He's a very good friend, and he doesn't give up on anyone." She replied without hesitating. "He's always looking for the best in people."

"Okay, and this one is for Geminus, Skylar, Dani, Kaz, and Oliver. If you had a kid, what would you name it?" He questioned.

"Uh, let's see…" Alivia thought about it. "For a boy, maybe Michael, and for a girl, Melinda."

"Kira, or Kurtis." Kaz replied after giving it a lot of thought. "Something with a K, at least. Gotta follow tradition."

"I'd want a boy, and I'd probably name him Cameron." Dani commented. "But if it was a girl, it would be Robyn or something like that."

"For a girl, maybe Saphina?" Skylar shrugged. "That's pretty popular where I come from. But if it was a boy, I'd name it Seth, maybe."

"And for me, it would either be Sera, if it was a girl, or Flynn if it were a boy." Oliver replied.

Gus nodded. "For the record, I'd name my kid after myself." He commented.

"What if it were a girl?" Dani questioned. Gus looked at her strangely.

"Gusella." He replied, as if it should be obvious. He looked back at the camera. "Anyway, the next set of questions from Algernon. Oliver, you're up first! When you first started reading Skylar's comics, did you crush on her right away, or did it start after a few comics?"

"I don't have a crush on Skylar!" Oliver denied it. Skylar raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, you do." She reminded him. He looked at her, surprised.

"You know about that?" He questioned.

"Everyone knows about that." Kaz pointed out. Oliver shook himself, getting back to the question.

"Uh, yeah, it was right away. I was, like, ten, and she was cute and badass." He explained.

"Well, at least he doesn't just like you for your looks." Alivia mentioned to Skylar, chuckling.

"Okay, Kaz, this one's about your family. How many of your siblings are older, and how many are younger?" Gus continued. "Honestly, even I've been wondering this."

"Okay, here's the deal. Kay's just a baby, Kasey, Katie, and Khloe are 7 year old triplets, Kyle is 10, and Karen is eleven. So, I have 5 younger sisters and 1 younger brother. Kaley is 19, Kasey, the boy one, is 20. Kevin's 23, Kai is 24, and Kenny is 27. So, 1 older sister and four older brothers." Kaz explained. Gus nodded.

"Your parents have way too many kids." He commented.

"You're telling me." Kaz agreed.

"Anyway, the next question is for Dani. What's your favorite sport to play?" He questioned. She slid down in her seat.

"God, I don't know…" She had to think about it. "Soccer. I like playing team sports more, so soccer. But archery is my second favorite, and then basketball."

"Alright, and if you three could be superheroes, what powers would you want?" Gus questioned. All three Normos beamed at the question.

"I want to make things explode." Kaz grinned, eyes alight with excitement.

"I want to fly." Dani commented. "I'd be able to come and go anywhere I want, whenever I wanted. So yeah, flying would be my first choice."

"Time travel would be a cool power." Oliver replied thoughtfully. "Or at the very least, precognition. Either way, I could know what was going to happen in the future, so I could potentially change it for the better."

Gus looked over to the other couch. "Skylar, which of your powers do you miss the most?"

"My wormhole generation ability. I used to be able to use it to go between my planet and others all the time. Now, I have no way to do that." She replied, a wistfulness in her tone.

"And Geminus, what do you miss the most about Bray?" Gus inquired. Alivia couldn't help but smile at the thought of her home, a faraway look in her eyes.

"The beaches." You could hear the love in her voice. "My best friend, Chloe, and I would go out in the water everyday. Not just swimming, though, we'd go sailing with her older brother too. It was just so much fun."

"Okay, and who do you, and Skylar, believe is the most dangerous villain?" Gus continued.

"The Annihilator." Skylar said instantly. They all gave her a sympathetic look, not needing an explanation as to why she believed that.

"Actually, I've always considered Dr. Wrath to be more dangerous. Not just because of his power, but he's far more manipulative than the Annihilator ever was, and he's got several allies. I know for a fact that some of them are trying to bring him back from the dead." Alivia reasoned. "Not to mention, he's not afraid to cross lines. The Annihilator had boundaries even he wouldn't cross, but Dr. Wrath doesn't."

"Okay, and to all five of you, aside from yourself, your family, and your significant other, who is your favorite superhero?" Gus questioned.

"Not Geminus!" Dani snapped. The red-head looked at her, offended. "Hey, you chose Ollie over me."

"So childish." Alivia muttered, shaking her head. She looked at Gus. "I would have to say…Spotlight. He may be a flirt and a jerk sometimes, but he's there when you need him to be."

"Crossbow. She taught me everything I know." Skylar replied.

"Solar Flare, because girl power!" Dani insisted.

"Surge is pretty cool." Oliver mentioned, though his eyes were on Skylar.

"Tecton is obviously the best." Kaz looked at his friends like they were crazy.

"Okay, and Horace, there are two questions for you." Gus looked at his papers. "First of all, are there other superhero hospitals in the world, or is there just one in Philly?"

Horace hesitated before answering. "The Philadelphia Mighty Med is the only one on Earth, however, there are six other versions of this hospital, located on different, highly populated planets in the solar system. Since our invisible ambulance can travel at light speed and in space, we can get to any injured hero, anywhere in the Milky Way Galaxy, in a matter of minutes, so it seemed like a waste of money to have another Mighty Med even in the same star system as us."

"Alright, and if Skylar was the fourth person you saved, who were the other three?" Gus continued.

"The first was Alan's mother after she got killed in a fight against her arch nemesis, and that's when I discovered my ability. The next was the Solar Flare I, and then Elvis Presley." He answered. All the teenagers looked at him.

"You saved Elvis?" Kaz questioned.

"And you wouldn't?" Horace challenged. Gus cleared his throat.

"Moving on!" He announced. "The next set of questions come from PiLot Guest. Kaz, you're first. What's the weirdest scenario you've been in with friends or family?"

"Uh, that's a hard one." Kaz smirked after a second. "Oh, there was that time that Kenny walked into the garage to see that we'd converted it into a horse stable, with an actual horse in it."

"Wait, you had a horse in your garage?" Alivia questioned, looking at him

"Dee's fault." He accused. His girlfriend nodded.

"Yeah, it was." She chuckled. "I was eight and we found this adorable colt that was hurt on the side of the road, but Mom wouldn't let me keep it at my place, so Ollie and I brought it over to Kaz's." She looked at Kaz curiously. "I can't remember – how long did we manage to keep him a secret?"

"About three weeks, actually." Kaz scowled. "Then Kenny had to ruin it by telling my Dad."

"Okay, next question is for Oliver." Gus continued. "What is your biggest pet peeve about your friends?"

"In general or one for each friend in specific?" Oliver questioned. Gus shrugged. "Alright, specifically…Kaz never takes anything seriously."

"Hey!" His best friend protested.

"Liv's almost always siding with Dani." Oliver continued.

"…Yeah, that's true." Alivia agreed.

"Jordan is likely to kill us at any convenient times." Oliver said thoughtfully. "And Dani's always making me cover for her."

"I cover for you too!" His sister reminded him.

"And Skylar…well, she's perfect." He added, smiling dreamily.

"Okay, Dani, you're up." Gus looked at the short-haired girl. "If you could be any hero's sidekick, who would it be?"

"Ooh, that's a good one." Dani had to think about it. "Titanio. He's one of the few adult superheroes who actually treat us with the same respect he does everyone else. Most of the other heroes that would be open to having a sidekick treat us like helpless Normos half the time. Or they just don't like us, like Neocortex."

"Skylar," Gus moved onto the alien girl. "Were there any downsides to your powers?"

"Not really." She replied. "I mean, there was the occasional annoyance, like when my super hearing picked up on a really high-pitched sound that would give me headaches, but aside from that, no, there weren't."

"And Horace, what is your favorite bridge of all time?" Gus inquired. Horace beamed.

"The Sunniberg Bridge in Klosters, Switzerland. MAGNIFICENT!" He exclaimed gleefully.

"Okay then." Gus nodded. "The next set of questions come from IAMAGUEST. First up, Dani. When did you first realize you liked Kaz?"

"I…I don't really know, actually. It kinda just built up for a while, and then one day, it was just like, holy crap I want to kiss that face." She shrugged. "So, uh, maybe sometime in the past year?"

"Kaz, same question, about Dani." Gus turned to the black haired boy.

"Eighth grade, when Dani nearly got suspended for breaking into the school to rescue frogs from being dissected." Kaz replied, without a doubt. "I mean, who does that? It was incredible and crazy and awesome and so much like her that I just…wanted that kind of girl in my life."

"Hey, cameraman Barry!" Gus looked up from his questions. "Did you know about Dani and Kaz?"

"Yeah, she told me after Oliver found out." Barry replied.

"Okay, so the next question goes to Geminus, Alan, Horace, and Skylar, since we already asked Kaz and the twins." Gus turned to them. "Which of your powers is your favorite?"

"Well, I only got one so…" Alivia chuckled. "Though, technically, I got two because my cells replicate and heal me at a much faster rate than Normos, but regular duplication is my fave."

"Wormhole generation." Skylar replied.

"My freezing ability." Horace replied before jerking his thumb at Alan. "You have no idea how often I've used it on him!"

"Hey!" Alan glared at him before answering the question. "My telekinesis, though I would like my shapeshifting ability a lot more if I had better control over it."

"And this one is for…the boss lady." Gus stood and looked past the camera. "We're gonna need you out here, boss lady."

A brown haired girl stepped out from behind the camera and leaned on the couch next to Dani. "What's up?"

"Okay, what powers would you like to have, Kihonne?" He questioned. "Barry, that goes for you too."

"Pyrokinesis. Do not ask why, but for some reason I have a fascination with fire powers." Kihonne replied.

"Something to do with…super strength. Yeah, that'd be cool." Barry grinned.

"Okay, and to everyone, pirates or ninjas?" Gus questioned.

"Pirates." Dani grinned. Oliver stared at her.

"Ninjas!" He argued. Kaz smirked.

"Ninja pirates." He insisted.

"Pirates." Skylar commented. Alan nodded.

"Same." He agreed.

"Pirates are more interesting." Horace commented thoughtfully.

"Please, ninjas for the win!" Alivia insisted. Barry shook his head.

"You, Geminus, are a disgrace. Pirates are WAY cooler." He objected.

"That's a matter of opinion. Mr. Clarke." Kihonne commented. "I, personally, have always wanted to be a spy."

"Well, I like Kaz's idea. Pirate ninjas." Gus commented. "Alright, boss lady, any thoughts on the ending of Elite Force?"

"Too freaking many!" Kihonne exclaimed, sounding frustrated. "How could they do that to us? The entire episode built up to a cliffhanger that they refused to resolve! But at least it left me with plenty of options for how I'm going to write a second season, and possibly a third."

"And what about sneak peeks for the future of The Days of Our Lives?" Gus questioned. Kihonne considered it.

"I won't give you any sneak peeks, mainly because I'm not too far ahead of you guys in the writing, but I will give you three hints at what to expect in the upcoming chapters." She offered. "In no particular order, your hints are: Comic Con, Electricity, and Shadows. Those are your hints, interpret them how you want."

"Sweet." Gus grinned. "Okay, the next set are from Avaoreo1112. Oliver, Dani, have you guys ever kept a secret from each other?"

Dani chuckled nervously, glancing at her brother. "No, uh, dating Kaz would be first."

"That you know of." Oliver muttered. Dani's head snapped towards him.

"Sorry, what?" She questioned, but he just smirked and refused to respond.

"…Okay." Gus shrugged. "Now, Geminus, where were you born?"

"I was born in Bray, Ireland." Alivia replied proudly. Gus nodded.

"Now, the next several questions come from the guest who labelled them 'Kihonne's Q and A.' Boss lady, the first two are for you. First, why did you skip Fantasy League of Heroes? Was it because it wasn't plot relevant, or do you still intend to do it?"

"It wasn't really plot relevant, and since I'm desperately attempting to finish The Days of Our Lives in December so that The Power of Seven can start off the new year, I didn't really have time to include a plot-irrelevant episode in the series. Sorry if you were hoping for it." Kihonne replied with a shrug.

"And secondly, what was the first part of the story that you wrote?" Gus questioned. Kihonne chuckled.

"Childhood's End, which will be the story's finale." She admitted. "Since the series was already done by time I started writing this, it allowed me to plan ahead for the finale, so I just wrote that chapter first, and spent the rest of the story building up to that point."

"Wait, so you already know what's going to happen to us?" Alivia inquired, leaning forward. "Spill!"

"No." Kihonne shook her head. Dani turned to look at her.

"And why not?" She questioned. Kihonne looked at them all warily.

"Because you're all going to hate me." The writer replied. "I mean it; I'm expecting a riot of some sort."

"Well, that's only slightly concerning." Gus chuckled. "Moving on! Dani! Prior to getting together with Kaz, what would your thoughts have been if he decided to date a superhero?"

"I admit, I probably would have been a little jealous." The short haired girl replied.

"And, from your experience, is Oliver as stubborn as Kaz?" Gus continued, adjusting his glasses.

"Yes." There was no hesitation with her response. "They may be stubborn on different things, but Ollie is just as stubborn as Kaz, without a doubt."

"And Oliver, aside from Skylar, who's your favorite female superhero?" Gus inquired.

"Geminus." Oliver and Alivia exchanged smirks. "She's my favorite, but Mesmira is a close second."

Gus smirked, looking at the next question. "And what would it take for you to date Jordan?"

Dani let out a laugh, obviously amused by the questioned, then looked at her brother curiously. "What would it take?" She inquired.

"Money, and lots of it." Oliver replied. "And a personal bodyguard, because I don't see that relationship ending well for me."

"Me either." Gus chuckled. "And if you guys went out for lunch or something, where would you go?"

"Um, maybe…Arby's or something." He shrugged. Gus nodded.

"Okay and final question for you. Do you think it's possible that your mom is keeping something from you, like Dani kept the fact that she and Kaz were hooking up?" Gus questioned. Oliver considered.

"I mean, it's possible. I try to stay out of her business, so I'm sure she's got some things I don't know about." He admitted.

"Now, Skylar, now that you know what Stephanie's really like, would you have really minded being Kaz's girlfriend that one time at the fair?" He questioned.

"Yes, I still would have minded. A, he tricked me, and B, he was trying to get together with her, so I wouldn't have let him do that if I could have stopped him." Skylar replied.

"So, what do you like the most about Kaz?" Gus continued. Skylar had to think about it.

"Um…he's a really loyal friend to those he cares about." She replied.

"Now, about Oliver, how would you react if someone was flirting with him?" Gus questioned.

"Um, I'd question their sanity?" She shrugged. Oliver gave her a hurt look. "Oh, come on! You'd be questioning it too!"

"We all would." Gus chuckled. "Now, do you have any hobbies? Aside from fighting supervillains?"

"A few, actually. Scrapbooking, band, and Geminus recently convinced me to join the school's gymnastics team." The Calderan explained.

"Okay, Kaz, you're up!" Gus grinned. "So, about Skylar, is she like a sister to you?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I have a better relationship with her than most of my sisters, but yeah, I guess calling her a sister wouldn't be a bad comparison." Kaz replied.

"Have you flirted with every girl at Mighty Med?" Gus continued.

"Yes." Kaz replied, then reconsidered. "Wait, no. I've never flirted with Spark, because she's in a relationship. I know what lines not to cross."

"Okay, and if you had to read a book, aside from comics, graphic novels, or mangas, what book would you read and why?" Gus continued.

"Okay, so I actually had to choose a novel to read last year for English, and I chose 'Gone'. It's by Michael Grant, and it's basically Lord of the Flies, but with X-Men, and a giant alien dome." He grinned. "It's freaking awesome."

"It is." Oliver agreed.

"And on Thanksgiving, how many turkeys does your family consume?" Gus questioned.

"Okay, my mom usually buys three or four turkeys, but that's because we usually invite a lot of people for Thanksgiving. I mean, Dani and Oliver haven't missed Thanksgiving with my family since…4th grade?"

"Third." The twins both corrected him at once. Kaz nodded.

"So, usually three or four, and with a lot of other foods on the table." Kaz replied.

"And has Skylar ever been invited over for dinner?" Gus questioned.

"A few times. Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving. You know, holidays. Just like Oliver and Dani."

"Okay, and the next set of questions come from Duggie Davenport!" Gus continued. "Kihonne, do you have any more sneak peeks for the Power of Seven?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have that many chapters for that story that are beyond the planning points, but, just like with the Days of Our Lives, I can give you three hints to the plots I have planned. In no particular order, they are: double agent, time travel, and Leo."

"Okay, now, Geminus, do you think that you and Spark would possibly adopt in the future?" Gus questioned. Alivia's face went red.

"I-I don't…we're like sixteen, dude! We haven't even talked about what we're going to do after high school, let alone kids." The Irish girl replied quickly, embarrassed. "But adoption is definitely an option for me."

"Skylar, do you have any more evil friend that we don't know about?" Gus questioned.

"I sure hope not." She replied, shaking her head. He chuckled.

"Oliver, this one's for you. Are you ready for your mom to start dating again?" He continued. Oliver's eyes widened.

"That is an amazing idea." He declared. "It would totally get her off our backs. I am so ready for that!"

"Okay, and final question of the night. Dani, Kaz, who knows that you guys are officially a thing?"

"Uh, let's see. Kaz told Ollie-" Dani began listing.

"Future Me!" Kaz insisted. She ignored him.

"Liv found out ages ago, you told Jaime, right?" She glanced at the red-head, who nodded. "Mighty Med employees are required to inform the chief of staff if there's any fraternizing, Spotlight knows, Jordan knows, Gus knows, Barry knows…yeah, pretty much everyone knows."

"And that's all, folks!" Gus exclaimed. "Any last words from our guests?"

"I'm out. I got chapters to write and homework to procrastinate on." Kihonne declared, walking back out of the room.

"Thanks for the questions!" Skylar told the camera.

"Thanks for including me!" Barry called, making a few of them laugh.

"We'll see you next time!" Dani waved at the camera.

 **Kihonne: Alright, I hope you guys liked it. Now, if you didn't see one of your questions answered, check to see if anyone else asked the same thing, because if they reviewed first, I answered it with their set. I did skip a few questions, some for just the sake of time, and some because I genuinely did not know what to answer to that, but if you would like a specific reason as to why I skipped one of your questions, feel free to PM about it. Anyway, here's the schedule for the next several updates:**

 **November 21** **st** **: The Key to Being a Hero**

 **November 28** **th** **: The New Kids are Docs**

 **December 3** **rd** **: It's a Matter of Principal**

 **December 8** **th** **: Living the Dream**

 **December 9** **th** **: Mistaken Identity**


	27. The Key to Being a Hero

**Kihonne: Hey guys, I'm back with The Key to Being a Hero! I won't waste your time babbling, though, so on with the story!**

 **Xxx**

 **Duggie Davenport: I'm glad you're excited, and I would love to hear what your theories are! I'm curious to see how many people will guess my plans ahead of time. As for Mr. Terror, it's starts basically now. I have two original chapters planned for this story, one in the middle of the arc and the next one set right after the finale. Anyway, I won't comment on the finale, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **LabGirl2001: Yes, Leo! I can't leave Leo behind forever, can I? I mean, he won't be a major character like Chase or Bree, but he will be making some awesome appearances. Oh, and tell me any theories you have! I want to see how many people know me well enough to see what I'm planning. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Guest: Wow, I'm so amazed that you picked up on that. It was one of those things that I didn't think anyone would catch. I did do that on purpose, because, like you said, I wanted to show the main difference in the characters. In the Lab Assistant, the characters were all brought up in a business environment – Davenport Industries. They were trained since they were kids to be heroes, so they're going to be more professional about it, whereas the characters in the Days of Our Lives are all a bunch of kids who are just trying to figure everything out. I wanted emphasize their youth, because they go into the Power of Seven at a younger age and maturity than the Lab Rats, who, when they were Kaz, Dani, and Oliver's age, had barely just found out about Marcus. The Mighty Med characters are a lot more relaxed than the Lab Rats are at the moment, so I think you're really going to like how I take these two different atmospheres and combine them in the Power of Seven. I'm glad you liked the chapter. As for the hints, well Comic Con will be eventful, that's for sure. But, I hate to disappoint, but the last two are not directly connected. And as for you bomb shelter offer – I might take you up on that. I wasn't kidding when I said some people will hate it, but I figure that if I post the first chapter of The Power of Seven the day after, I might be able to avoid a lot of the backlash. You like the Gone series too? That is awesome! It is my all time favorite book series, though I would recommend The Messenger of Death, also by Michael Grant, if you're looking for another incredible book. His writing is amazing, and as you can probably tell from the title, it'll have a fair bit of what you're looking for. Yes, Leo will be making a comeback. More than one, in fact, though one will be a little more action-packed than the other. As for time-travel, don't make assumptions. I mean, you have no idea what I could be planning. And for the double-agent…well, I'm just waiting to see how everyone reacts when I play that card. You are very, very welcome for the chapter, and I hope you like this one just as much.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Oh, and before I forget…**

 **Bridget: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kaz's POV**

"Hey." I smiled, walking into Mighty Med to see Dani and Oliver both sitting in Mighty Med. Since Dani was dealing with a patient, and Oliver was busy on the computer, I walked over to Skylar. "Morning."

"Morning." She replied idly, texting on her phone. She looked at me. "It's not fair."

"What's not fair?" I wondered.

"That Clone Master took Liv to the Council of Heroes on Awhara." She pouted. "I've never even been allowed to go, and she's just a sidekick!"

"Whiner." I called her. She glared at me, so I changed the topic. "So, Dee and Oliver still at each other's throats?"

"They're snapping at each other for every little thing." She shook her head. "I mean, Oliver sneezed earlier and Dani accused him of trying to screw up her concentration."

"Please, last night Oliver was blaming Dani because her cat took a piss in his bed." I pointed out, remember the series of texts I'd received from both of them.

"How long do you think it'll last?" Skylar questioned.

"Their last big fight only lasted a couple of days, so probably not long. We just need to ride it out." I replied before approaching Oliver. "Hey, man, what are you doing?"

"Writing a dating profile for my mom." He replied, typing away. I frowned, though I did remember hearing him say before that he needed to do something like this.

"I thought Dani wanted to help you with that." I commented.

"Well, now she doesn't want to help." He muttered. I nodded, though I knew what that meant; the twins weren't even close to calling a truce. "Anyway, lately my mom's been more overprotective than usual, and she keeps hovering, so I need to get her a new boyfriend."

"All you've got so far is 'hovering and controlling mother looking for boyfriend'." I read. He shrugged.

"I'm not great at this stuff." He admitted.

"That's why you should get Dee's help with it. She can BS a paper with ease – I'm sure writing a dating profile won't be that hard." I offered.

"For my mother? Impossible." Dani commented, having been listening in on the conversation.

"At least your mother cares about you." Skylar commented. "My gestation pod never even sends me birthday cards anymore."

"Well, she cares about one of us." Dani retorted. Oliver rolled his eyes, but Skylar just frowned.

"Okay, what's the deal between you and your mother? I've never understood the animosity between you two." She questioned. Dani shrugged.

"Well, Skylar, it's rather simple. Mom was only expecting one kid, not two, and Ollie is the perfect son, and I'm about as far from perfect as you can get." She replied. "Guess which one's the favorite?"

"You're being overdramatic." Oliver chided. Dani looked at him.

"Let's see. You get perfect grades, you never get into any trouble, you always do as you're told, and adults love you. Me, well, I struggle for Cs, I'm always in trouble, I refuse to follow all her orders blindly, and adults mostly think I'm annoying and childish." She listed. "Not to mention, she thinks sports are stupid, and every time there's a school trip, she turns me down. Hell, she won't even let us go visit Dad over the summer."

"That's because he lives in England, and it's expensive to go down there." Oliver pointed out. Dani raised an eyebrow at him.

"Dad's a neurosurgeon, and Mom's the CEO of her business. I don't think money's an issue." She commented. She glanced at me. "Hey, listen. Key Keeper's coming in with an injured leg, but he doesn't really like me, and Jennifer just had Tecton's baby, like, a couple of days ago, and I haven't gotten to see Baby Tecton yet, so could you possibly take care of Key Keeper for me? Please?"

"Yeah, go." I agreed. She smiled happily, gave me a quick peck on the lips, then headed out into the hall. I glanced at Oliver.

"Give her a break – we both know your mom takes it easy on you because she thinks you're the more responsible one." I reminded him just as the doors to the ER swung open and Benny pushed the Key Keeper in on a gurney. I grabbed his chart as they pushed him to the far wall, but because the damage was done to his leg, it was impossible to visibly see the damage without removing the blanket covering his lower half. "What happened to you, Key Keeper?" I questioned, reading the chart. "Is this the work of your nemesis Slaughter Master?"

"He's not my nemesis!" The Key Keeper snapped irritably. He leaned back in the bed, wincing at the pain in his leg. "Did he tell you he was my nemesis? I get to decide who my nemesis is."

I lifted the blanket, raised my eyebrows when I saw the man's misshapen leg. "He turned your leg into the letter 'W'." I pointed out, dropping the blanket. "He should, at the very least, be in the running to be your nemesis."

"Well, I do hate the guy." He replied thoughtfully, scratching at his beard. "He set a trap and attacked e. I was able to fend him off using my Key of Steel, though."

I grinned. "The key that gives you super strength, that makes your body as hard as steel?" I had always loved the Key Keeper's comics, so I knew more about him than I did some other heroes.

"It also unlocks every bathroom in the world." The Key Keeper added, smirking. "Yesterday, I used on at Buckingham Palace. I just walked right in, no one even tried to stop me."

I chuckled. That sounded awesome! "We will have you patched up and back to fight crime ASAP." I promised the hero. To my surprise, he sighed.

"I don't want to fight crime. I'm sick of it." I stared at him. "When my mentor, the seventh Key Keeper, passed the Key of Steel on to me, I gave up everything to be a hero. Now, I just want to go back to a normal life and follow my true passion: watching TV."

"Well, that is the dream, isn't it?" I joked. He looked at me.

"It's been years…Is Full House still on?" I ignored his question, getting an idea of my own. This was perfect!

"Give me the key." I suggested. "Let me be the new Key Keeper."

For a while now, I'd been contemplating the idea of getting my own superpowers. I mean, I worked with superheroes every day, it seemed only natural that I would one day join them in their fight against supervillains, and ever since I found out that I worked for the 'New League of Heroes' in the future, I'd been thinking about this more and more.

"I don't know…Bestowing the key is a once-in-a-generation decision." He commented, looking at me skeptically. "I need to find a person who proves himself worthy and fearless and honorable."

"Okay, I'll prove myself worthy." I told him, even though I had no idea how to do that. "What do I have to do? This?" I posed. "Or this?" I did the same pose, but this time pointing at something in the distance.

"Can we discuss this later? I need to make a phone call." He told me, pulling a cell phone out from his pocket. "Also, I'm going to need someone to put my kneecap back on."

I grimaced as he pulled his kneecap out from under the bed and placed it in my hands. Part of it was still covered in blood and I wrinkled my nose. Some days, I really hated this job.

 **Oliver's POV**

As per usual on a Saturday afternoon, my sister and I were hanging at the Domain, waiting for our next shift at Mighty Med. Sure, we could pick up some extra hours, but we'd already worked through the night and though we weren't tired, we didn't feel like going back for a while. It was surprisingly empty today, though. After Wallace and Clyde got arrested, Gus had his overly-rich father buy out the Domain and now he and Barry were running the place together. Which usually meant that Dani, Kaz, Skylar, Alivia, and I could come and go as we pleased, regardless of store hours. It worked out pretty well for us, since it meant that we could just come and chill in here between shifts, even if it was the dead of night, but it also meant that Barry and Gus were hardly here, often just expecting us to lock up when we were done.

I glanced up from my comic book to look at Dani. She sat on the stairs by the door, reading her own comic book. I opened my mouth to say something, but then decided against it and looked down at my comic book. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her look up at me before looking down again.

By the point, I think we both realized how stupid this fight was. I mean, I knew she felt bad about lying to me, and to be honest, her and Kaz dating wasn't so bad. Kaz, at least, had made the effort to keep the PDA to a minimum around me, and even when they did kiss, it didn't turn into a full-on making out session like I'd expected. And, if they were both telling me the truth about how long they'd been together, they'd been making sure to keep me included so that our friendship didn't suffer, so all in all, things were working out for all of us. Now, Dani and I just had to figure out how to apologize to each other.

Except we couldn't. It had been three days, and we were still bickering like an old married couple or something. I couldn't help it – it was just like everything she did was getting on my nerves right now. And to be fair, if she had remembered to clean Katy's litter box, the cat probably wouldn't have used my bed as a bathroom. But as it was, neither of us could seem to take that first step towards forgiveness, so we were kinda at a stand still.

I looked up as the door to the Domain opened, then quickly shoved my comic book under the seat cushions of the couch when I realized it was my mother. Dani was quick to react too, sliding the comic under a stand before standing up.

"Mom?" I demanded. I had thought she was working from the office today – she was dressed for it, at least. She was wearing a nice jacket and dress pants, along with a white blouse, and she had clearly taken extra care with her hair today, the blonde locks flowing behind her. All of this said that she wanted to make sure she looked presentable for something, but her office was downtown, almost an hour and a half by car. What was she doing here in the middle of the afternoon?

"What are you doing here?" Dani questioned, glancing at me as if I would know.

"I came to see you two." My mother paused and looked at Dani. "That's the outfit you picked out to wear today?"

Dani subconsciously crossed her arms over her ACDC tank top, biting her lip to keep herself from snapping back. My mother sighed. "Danica, you know how I feel about those horrid bands." She looked at me. "And Oliver, that shirt does not go with those pants, or any pants for that matter!"

"Shouldn't you be at work? Insulting your employee's clothes and destroying their self-confidence?" I questioned.

"That's what's great about being the boss. I can do whatever I want, like leave in the middle of the day to come visit my children, who should be listening to those Mandarin tapes I bought them instead of reading picture books," she pulled my comic out from the couch cushions, then looked at a pair of cardboard cutouts with distain, "and hanging out with cardboard men."

"There are cardboard women too." Dani pointed out.

"Anyway, I see you've gotten a lot of views on your dating profile." I commented, trying to change the subject.

"Actually, that's why I'm here. First, to bring you new shirts." She pulled two shirts out of her bag – a clean, white polo for me, and a dark red blouse for Dani. She gave them to us before continuing. "And I've come here to thank you for posting that profile for me. I've met the most charming man, and we've already been on three dates."

"That profile was created yesterday." Dani looked at her, surprised.

"I'm a very busy woman, Danica." I grabbed an apple from my lunch as she spoke. "When I see something I want, I take it. By the way, I want that."

She snatched the apple from my hand and took a bite out of it. I chose not to comment on it. "We're happy for you, mother." Dani took a breath, forcing herself not to get annoyed by our mom's use of her full first name. "And we totally understand if you need to spend less time with us and more time with your new boyfriend, because your happiness means everything to us."

"As well it should." Mom agreed. "Now, we'll be having dinner tonight with my new gentlemen friend. I want you to meet him."

Whoa, it wasn't supposed to reach that stage. I had just been hoping for some guy to distract her for a bit. "I don't know if that's necessary."

"Of course it is." Mom snapped. "Now, the meeting is set for 7:00, but we'll have a pre-meeting meeting at the house for 6:30 for I can sign off on your outfit because of…" She waved her hand at me and Dani. "this."

"Yes Mother." "Got it." Dani and I replied.

"Good." She nodded, not recognizing the annoyance in both my and my sister's tones. She looked at the half-eaten apple. "I don't want this anymore."

She placed the apple back in my hand before walking out, clearly pleased with herself.

 **Kaz's POV**

Well, with Alivia off planet, I figured there was only one person I could go to for help in becoming the new Key Keeper: Skylar.

"Hey, Skylar," I found her hanging out in the rec room, her favorite spot to chill while me, Dani, and Oliver were either working, or supposed to be at home with our families. "Do me a favor."

"Okay." She smiled brightly at me before grabbing a paper bag off the table and pulling it over my head. I heard her laugh. "Now I'm doing everyone a favor."

"No, I'm serious." I pulled the bag off my head, crumpled it up, then threw it into the nearby trash can. "I need you to train me to be a superhero."

She scoffed, amused. "Kaz, you'll never be a superhero. You don't have what it takes at being selfless, clever, and virtuous. Pettiness and jealousy don't have any place in the superhero world."

I smirked smugly. Oh, she was going to LOVE this. "Well, I might be getting powers soon." I informed her. "The Key Keeper's retiring, and there's a chance he'll make me his successor."

"What?" As expected, Skylar totally flipped, beginning to kick furniture over and throw garbage cans across the room. "Why you and not me? Not fair, not fair!"

I watched the garbage can hit the ground. "So much for no pettiness and no jealousy."

She looked at me, then took a deep breath. "Okay, Kaz. I see your point." I could right through that fake smile, right down to the fury that was obviously boiling within her. "And I'm happy for you."

"So, you'll teach me everything you know?" I asked hopefully. I couldn't afford to wait for Alivia to get back with her dad.

"Absolutely." She agreed. "But first-"

She reached for the coffee table and threw it across the room, breathing heavily. I looked at her as it crashed to the ground. "You good?"

"I'm good." She agreed.

 **Xxx**

"Alright, Kaz." Skylar paced in front of me. "I've set up a practice simulation to demonstrate what to do when you encounter real-life danger."

I looked past her at her little simulation. On the right was a large man, probably a guard, with a dark hood and a massive machete. On the left was a pretty nurse, and in her arms lay the superhero world's newest addition, Benjamin VanOver, or as we all liked to call him, Baby Tecton. The newborn squirmed in her arms, clearly displeased with being out of his bed. I feel ya, kid. I feel ya.

"There's a violent villain over there about to commit a crime." Skylar continued. "The first thing you do is assess the danger, then prioritize the situation, and finally, take action."

"Or we can skip the boring part and just take action." I told her before stalking up to Benjamin. "Hey, you! Baby!" He looked up at me with big, bright blue, curious eyes. "Yeah, you with the blankie and the pacifier! You maybe look all cute and cuddly, but you're not fooling anyone, you stupid baby villain!"

To my surprise, Benjamin started wailing, tears streaming down his little face. "Kaz!" Skylar scolded. "What are you doing? The villain is the scary dude with the giant knife!"

I looked over at the guard with the machete. "Oh. That just seemed too obvious."

 **Oliver's POV**

"This is ridiculous." Dani fidgeted in her seat, her hands fiddling with the bottom of the dress Mom made her wear. Honestly, it wasn't a bad dress for her – it was a simple, short-sleeved dress that went down to just above her knees, and though it was flowing in a way that obviously made my sister feel uncomfortable, it was a deep color of purple that went well with her auburn hair. And though I knew that she just plain hated dresses, it was probably a lot less stuffy than the suit Mom had forced me to wear, so I couldn't see why she was complaining.

"Remember, just relax, be yourselves, and have fun." Mom told us. "Shoes." We each pointed a leg out from under the table, allowing Mom to see that we had worn the shoes she'd picked out for us. "Hands." We showered her our hands. "Teeth." Wide smiles were next.

"Is that what your teeth look like?" Mom grimaced. She pulled out her phone and recorded a message. "Reminder: get Oliver new teeth."

I rolled my eyes, but Mom, always fair, moved on to Dani next. "And Danica, if you're going to insist on dyeing your hair that color, please remember to re-dye it every month or two. Your roots are showing."

Dani ducked her head, hands reaching up to her hair as if she wanted to try and hide the tiny bit of blonde that was beginning to show. "Oh, here he comes."

She stood up to greet her new boyfriend. Dani and I had originally opted to stay sitting, since it was easier, but one look at my mother's new 'gentlemen friend' had us both on our feet, shocked to see that it was Horace.

"Oliver? Dani?" Horace looked equally shocked to see us. Mom frowned.

"You three know each other?" She asked, confused. Dani and I were both too shocked to come up with anything, but Horace was quick on the draw.

"No!" He said quickly. "Of course now. I'm just very good at guessing people's names, and weights." He pointed at a nearby customer. "Byron, 280!"

Mom seemed to accept it and pulled him in for a hug. Once he was sure Mom couldn't see his face, Horace looked at us. 'What?' Was the only thing he had time to mouth at us.

"I thought you were bringing your son." Mom frowned as she sat down. I frowned as well, equally confused but for different reasons, as Dani and I took our seats. But Dani just closed her eyes and nodded to herself, clearly have figured it out already.

"I did. He was right behind me." Horace looked around. "Oh, there he is."

For some reason, I was surprised to see that Alan was his 'son'. He walked over to us, licking his sauce stained lips. There was a piece of shrimp in his hands. "I'm sorry I'm late." He apologized. "But there are just so many free samples on all of these tables!"

"This is my son, Alan." Horace introduced. "Alan, this is Bridget, and-"

"Dani" My sister spoke up the moment recognition flooded Alan's face, introducing herself before he could say anything. "And this is my brother, Oliver."

Alan looked like he wanted to question this – I didn't blame him, I was just as bewildered – but Horace forced him to sit down before he could. The beginning of dinner was successfully awkward, Mom trying to initiate conversation between us, but none of us really into it. He kept glancing at us, confused, while Alan was subtly stealing food off other people's plates while we waited for our own meals. I couldn't help but glance between Horace and my mother, wondering what the hell was really going on, because the dating site couldn't have possibly paired them together, while Dani was secretly texting someone underneath the table, forcing her eyes to stay focused on Mom so she didn't get suspicious.

Thankfully, Mom's phone rang sooner than later. "Sorry, it's work." She stood up, giving Horace an apologetic smile. "Why don't my favorite boy and girl," she looked at Dani and I, "get to know my other favorite boy and the boy…" She sighed, shaking her head at Alan, who was off by another table. "the boy who just ate that woman's bruschetta."

She walked away as Alan came back, a disgusted look on his face. "I didn't like he told us." I looked past him to see that he'd put the bruschetta back on the woman's plate.

"Horace, what the hell?" Dani demanded, getting straight to the point.

"Why are you dating our mother?" I hoped he could sense the disgust in my voice.

"It's hard to meet women in my line of work, so I tried an online dating service. When I saw your mother's name, I knew Bridget was the one for me." He explained, smiling. "It has the word 'bridge' right in it."

"Why is Alan pretending to be your son?" Dani questioned. Alan grinned.

"Because women are total suckers for a single dad." He told us. Horace chuckled in agreement.

"We lured your mom in, hook, line, and sinker." He agreed. Dani and I just looked at him sternly. "Of course I care for her deeply. In fact, I love her. I LOVE BRIDGET!"

"Oh my God, he's completely lost his mind." Dani whispered, horrified. I looked at Horace, equally horrified.

"You can't date my mother, Horace." I told him. "First of all, it's just…ugh. Second of all, it's too riSky. What if she finds out about the superhero world?"

"Oliver, Dani, I'm a trained professional." Horace reminded us. "I think I know how to keep from revealing the existence of a super-secret superhero hospital."

"What kind of hospital?" Mom inquired, coming back from her phone call.

"A hospital…to heal my broken heart." Horace smiled at her charmingly. "Because you've been gone so long."

"Aw." Mom cooed. "You're the man of my dreams. If I had dreams; I don't sleep."

 **Kaz's POV**

"Key Keeper, I'm ready to prove my worthiness." I announced, walking up to the man. He was still in his hospital bed, though his leg look considerably better.

"Actually-" He went to stop me, but I cut him off. This first part would be very hard on me, so I just wanted to get it over with.

"I'll start by showing that I'm selfless by destroying my most prized possession: this first edition Tecton comic book." I held it in the air, but was unable to destroy it. I'd had this thing for years – it was the first comic book I ever bought. The last thing I wanted to do was destroy it, but it would be worth it to become a superhero. I bit back a pained whimper and tore it in half, dropping the two half to the ground.

"Are you okay?" The Key Keeper asked gently. I nodded.

"Of course I'm okay." I lied, forcing myself to smile. "I'm superhero material. I can withstand all pain, emotional and physical. Watch."

I hesitated, then grabbed a metal tray off a nearby table and slammed it into my face. "Who needs television?" The Key Keeper laughed, oblivious to how much that really hurt. I mean, OW! "I could watch this all day. But unfortunately, I already gave the key to someone else."

"What?" I demanded, angry. I did all that, and for nothing? "Who?"

"Her." He pointed behind me. I turned to see Skylar walking into the ER, a cheerful smile on her face as she flipped the powerful, silver key over in her hands. I glared at her and her smile faded, realizing how furious I was. She then bolted out into the hall. I raced after her, ducking past nurses and behind a gurney in order to cut her off before she could make her escape.

"I can't believe you!" I shouted at her. "You lecture me about the virtues of being a hero, and then you totally snake me?!"

"Look, Kaz, I'm sorry." She apologized, slipping the key into her back pocket. "It's just…you don't know what it's like to have superpowers, lose them, and then get them back only to have them tainted, causing you to almost destroy everything you care about!"

"I almost destroyed everything I care about!" I snapped. "My face!"

She sighed. "Look, I know I was wrong, but can I please keep the key?" She pleaded with me. "It's my only chance to feel like myself again."

Damn it. She was giving me those big brown eyes, with tiny tears creeping into the corners of her eyes. She knew I was a sucker for those! I couldn't say no to them! But I could secretly betray them.

"Fine." I agreed, trying to act reluctant.

"Really?" Her face lit up and she hugged me. "Thank you so much!"

I hugged her back with one arm, the other one quietly slipping into her pocket and removing the key without her knowledge. "You are welcome." I told her, pulling away.

"I guess you did learn something about selflessness and integrity." She told me. I nodded.

"Yeah, I did." I smiled proudly. "At the end of the day, it's all I really need."

She smiled and walked away, happy with how things turned out. "That, and this key." I added once she was out of earshot, flipping the key up into the air and catching it with my hand.

 **Xxx**

I headed to the Domain as soon as my shift at Mighty Med was over, excited about my new powers. I knew that Dani and Oliver were supposed to be at dinner with their mom's new boyfriend, but I figured they'd be back soon, if they weren't back already. "Dee? Oliver? I want to show you guys something awesome!" I called, pushing on the door. Unused to my new strength, I accidently removed it right off its hinges. Oops. I quickly placed the door back, confident that no one would find out it was me if I just left it like this.

"Kaz?" I turned around to see Skylar standing behind me, a confused frown on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, looking for Dee and Oliver." I replied. So, it wasn't a lie; I just didn't tell her WHY I was looking for them.

"You know they're having dinner with their mom, right?" She questioned. I nodded.

"Yeah, but I figured they might be back soon." I replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I felt really bad about snaking the key from you, so I came here to buy you a gift, but the store's closed." She told me. "Anyway, thanks for being so cool about the key thing."

She punched me in the shoulder in a friendly manner, but frowned when my chest made a clanging noise. She knocked on my shoulder, producing the same noise, as if she was hitting metal. Which she technically was. "What's that noise?"

"It's my new armor undershirt." I lied. She looked at me, confused. "Yeah, uh, it keeps the moisture in and the danger out. Now, if you'll excuse me…I have to go scratch my belly button. It's an elaborate process."

I practically ran from away from her, leaving Skylar confused, but oblivious to the fact that I'd stolen the key.

 **Oliver's POV**

"No, you're my pookie bear." "No, no, no. You're MY pookie bear." After about twenty minutes of listening to my mom and Horace say things like this, I was ready to stab myself in the brain. Apparently, Dani had had enough as well.

"Excuse me, I need to use the ladies room." Dani stood up and headed towards the bathroom. On the way, she caught me by the arm. "He does too!" She called over her shoulder, dragging me with her. The moment we were in the hall leading to the washrooms, out of sight and earshot of everyone else, she let me go. "Alright, I'm calling a ceasefire. If Mom and Horace are gonna…" She shuddered dramatically. "I'm gonna need some back-up."

"Truce?" I offered her my hand. She shook it.

"Truce." She agreed.

"We need to stop this." I decided.

"Thank you!" She sounded exasperated. "This is weird and creepy and such a bad idea."

"Not to mention, we'd have to spend more time with Alan." I added. This time, it was me that shuddered.

"How do we break them up without screwing ourselves in the process though?" She wondered. "Remember, he is our boss. And he can and probably will cube us if we sabotage them."

"I have a bad idea." I told her. She looked at me, intrigued and excited just by the words 'bad idea'. "Just let me handle it, and don't get involved unless my lips actually start to turn blue, deal?"

She looked a little concerned now, but nodded slowly. "Okay...Nothing too stupid, alright?"

"Promise." I agreed before following my sister back to the table.

"Do you two always go to the washroom together?" Alan questioned, looking at us.

"Their whole lives." Mom answered before we could. "You know it took Oliver seven years to get through potty training?"

Dani nearly choked on her drink, she laughed so hard. I glared at her and she gave me an apologetic look, quickly covering up her laugh with a cough. She looked at Mom and Horace. "Just a thought, but maybe you guys ought to slow things down a tad. You know what they say: a fire that burns too bright fizzles out too quickly."

"My passion for your mother will burn for a thousand years." Horace assured her, much to Dani's disgust. He looked at my mother. "Of course, you'll be dead by then, but I'll always carry your picture in my wallet."

"Oh, Horace." Mom smiled at him. "You have the most delightful sense of humor. It's what I love about you. And what I don't love about you, I will change."

"You'll try." Dani muttered. Mom gave her a stern look, but I could see where my sister was coming from. Everything about herself that Dani was proud of – her incredible soccer skills, her life-long desire to travel the world, her personal style, and her passion for superheroes – were all parts of her that Mom had made clear she wanted to change. If it were up to Mom, we'd both stay at home, hidden in protective bubbles, and staying away from rock band t-shirts and comic books. And while I could recognize it for what it was – a weird and fierce way of protecting us – Dani saw it as a person rejection of who she was. It was the root of all their problems, and though I usually intervened before anyone's feelings could get hurt, I figured now would be as good a time as any to follow through with my plan. I cut a large piece of meat from my steak and placed it in my mouth, shoving it to the back of my mouth before beginning to make choking noises.

"Oliver?" Mom demanded as I began to 'choke'.

"Oh no!" I fake-gasped. "I forgot to cut my food into tiny bites like you told me to and now I'm choking!"

I continued making choking noises, briefly wondering how long I would have to do this until someone could 'save' me. "He's choking! Somebody do something!" Mom called, looking around the restaurant desperately. "There's $100 in it for you!"

"I'll do it for $200." Alan offered. I gave him a glare as I continued to 'choke'. Thankfully, a man from another table ran up and performed the Heimlich Maneuver on me. After a couple of tries, I spit out the piece of meat, making it look like I'd been saved.

"Oh, thank you." Mom smiled gratefully at the man, who waved away the $100 she offered him before going back to his own table. She turned to me. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright. What did I tell you about choking?"

"Not to do it." I mumbled.

"NOT to do it!" She agreed, upset. I nodded.

"Don't feel bad, Mom. It's not your fault." I assured her. She frowned.

"My fault?" She repeated. I nodded.

"I understand. You're spending a lot more time with Horace now, and you don't have time to watch over me and Dani." I told her, widening my eyes to make me look vulnerable in her eyes. "So if that means one of us choke on a dangerously large piece of food, hopefully, there'll be a stranger nearby who can save me."

"Don't worry, Mom. We'll be fine." Dani chimed in from her seat. While everyone else had jumped to her feet when I began 'choking', she'd stayed where she was, watching all of it with a careful eye. We all sat back down, and Mom turned to Horace, a regretful look on her face.

"Horace…" She said gently. "I didn't realize how much my children still need me. They're practically incapable of anything."

"That's not true!" Dani snapped defensively before smiling at Horace. "Horace, can I borrow your fork? My eye's itchy."

How she managed to keep a straight face on was beyond me, but Mom believed it completely. "See?" She sighed in exasperation before looking at Dani "What have I told you about forks?"

"Not to put them in your eye." Dani sighed, trying really hard not to smile.

"NOT to put them in your eye!" My mother agreed. She looked back at Horace, while Dani ducked her head, using her bangs to cover the smirk that had spread on her face. "Horace, I'm sorry, but between my children, my job, and the upkeep of my eyebrows, I clearly don't have time for a gentlemen friend right now."

"I understand." Horace nodded after a moment. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go comfort that person who's sobbing hysterically in the bathroom."

"I don't hear anyone sobbing." My mom commented, frowning.

"You will in about ten seconds!" Horace exclaimed, tearing off in the direction of the washrooms. Sure enough, ten seconds later, the sound of hysterical sobbing could be heard from the washrooms.

"Well, he took that well." Dani commented before looking at me. "Hey, you going to finish your potatoes?"

 **Kaz's POV**

I almost made it out of the mall area when I heard large crashing sounds come from the direction I'd just come from. I skidded to a stop, confused. Was someone breaking into a store? Cool! He could be the first criminal I put away!

I raced back in the direction of the sounds, but stopped short when I realized that they were coming from the Domain. I slowly snuck up on the store to see Skylar and a very large, bald man in a black apron fighting each other. I recognized him instantly as Slaughter Master, a professional killer in the supervillain world. And by the looks of it, Skylar was getting her butt kicked.

I winced in sympathy as she hit the ground by the counter and crawled backwards, trying to get away. Unfortunately for her, her back hit the cashier's counter, preventing her from going any further.

"Say goodbye, Key Keeper!" He snarled. Wait, he was attacking her because he thought she was the Key Keeper? And if I had the key, that meant she couldn't defend herself.

"Did somebody say 'Key Keeper'?" I demanded, rushing into the room. Slaughter Master frowned at me.

"Who are you?" He asked dumbly. I looked at him, annoyed,

"I just said 'Did somebody say 'Key Keeper'?' in a way that made it pretty obvious that I'm the Key Keeper." I responded.

"I can't believe you stole the key from me!" Skylar exclaimed, getting back to her feet.

"Really? Because it seemed pretty obvious to me." I replied, baffled by her shock.

"Be quiet, both of you." Slaughter Master snarled, weilding a hammer in one hand and a mace in the other. "I don't care which of you is the real Key Keeper; I'll just slaughter you both."

Skylar sprung into action, quickly kicking the hammer out of his hand. Slaughter Master reacted in turn, using his strength to hit Skylar so hard that she went tumbling over the couch. He then charged at me, but I, confident in the power of the Key of Steel, merely crossed my arms, not affected whatsoever by the numerous times he hit me with his mace. Honestly, if all villains were this stupid, it was no wonder how superheroes did so well against them.

Bored of watching him hit me, I grabbed both of his wrists, stopping him. "Hey Slaughter Master, why are you hitting yourself?" I questioned before proceeding to punch Slaughter Master in the face with his own fist. Then, after doing that a few times, I let him go and elbowed him in the gut, sending him to the ground.

He got up quickly, grabbing the hammer as he did. And then, to my despair, I recognized the hammer. "Wait, is that the Hammer of Achelon?" I demanded. The Hammer of Achelon was the only object known in the history of superheroes that could defeat the Key of Steel.

"Finally, someone knows what it is." Slaughter Master exclaimed before swinging the hammer at my head. I raised my hands to protect myself, but the moment they made contact with the hammer, 1,000 volts of electricity flew through my body. I fell, back stiff with pain even as I hit the carpeted floor. I stumbled backwards as he advanced on me, wishing that Alivia had been here. For someone who was tasked with protecting us, she never seemed to be around when we really needed it.

Slaughter Master knocked a chair out of the way with his hammer, then closed in on me. I pushed myself to my feet, knowing I stood a better chance running than crawling. I ducked out of the way as he swung his hammer at me, briefly using a table for protection until he destroyed that too.

My back hit the cashier's counter and I knew I had to do something. I decided I might as well go down fighting and tried to punch Slaughter Master in the face, but he caught my hand with his fist and electrocuted me again using the hammer. "There's no escape!" He laughed. "This is the one weapon that can destroy the Key Keeper!"

That was it!

"What if I wasn't the Key Keeper?" I challenged. Using the hand he wasn't holding, I grabbed the Key of Steel out of my pocket and hooked it onto the front of his apron. The hammer backfired on him, suddenly electrocuting him instead of me. I took advantage of it, grabbing the hammer out of his hands and swinging it as hard as I could against his abdomen area. I landed more than a few good hits, each blow shocking him even worse than before. The last hit sent him into the air, then crashing to the ground, unconscious. I smirked to myself and swiped the Key of Steel off his apron and sliding it into my back pocket. "I'll take that, thank you."

"Wow." Skylar commented, walking up to me from behind the couch. "That was very clever, Kaz. I was wrong; you are worthy to be the Key Keeper."

"I have my moments." I commented modestly, leaning against a display. Unfortunately, it was one of those displays that could spin, so I ended up sliding off of it and onto the ground. "That was not one of them."

Skylar laughed lightly as I got back up. "Listen, I'm sorry I snaked the key from you. The idea of having powers again was just so tempting." She sighed. "But I don't want just anybody's powers to be a superhero. I want my own. I guess I just forgot that. Forgive me?"

I sighed. "Sure." I agreed, opening my arms to give her a hug. But after a moment, I felt her arm go from around my shoulder to down my back. "You're trying to take the key, aren't you?"

"…Maybe?" She admitted. I pushed her away and she gave me a sheepish smile.

 **Oliver's POV**

"We should feel bad, shouldn't we?" I questioned, looking at Dani. She shrugged.

"Maybe. Probably." She corrected herself, leaning on the ER's main counter. "But I don't. You?"

"Nope. I mean, I feel bad about hurting the both of them, but it really is for the best." I replied, shaking my head. The doors behind my sister opened up and Skylar and Kaz walked in, the latter grinning proudly.

"Hey, guys!" He beamed at us. "Remember when you guys said I would never get superpowers?" Something silver flew from Kaz's pocket past me, but my best friend didn't seem to notice. "Watch this!"

He slammed his hand down on the counter, then cried out in pain, somehow surprised by the fact that it hurt. "I stand by my statement." I declared after a moment.

"Where's my key?" He demanded.

"Right here." We looked to see the Key Keeper holding up the silver Key of Steel. Oh, Kaz must have borrowed it or something. "I'm taking it back. I've clearly made a terrible mistake bestowing the key."

"I know." Skylar nodded seriously. "Kaz and I were being petty, and using the key for our own personal gains. Neither of us are worthy."

"Well, that was part of it, but it's mostly because Solar Flare told me she only goes out with superheroes." He smirked over at the blonde haired pyrokinetic. She waved back, flames flickering off her fingertips.

"Okay, I get it." Kaz agreed. "But be careful – everyone who goes out with her ends up getting burned."

"Right." The Key Keeper replied gratefully before heading out. He passed Horace on his way in. The man had a serious look on his face, and a large paper bag in his hands.

"Horace." Dani approached him first, an apologetic look on her face. "Listen, we're sorry for the way things went at the restaurant."

"It's alright. In fact, your mother and I talked and agreed that it's best if we don't date anymore." He told us.

"Thank goodness." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"And that what we should do is get engaged, so we did!" He continued. Dani and I stared at him.

"WHAT?!" On any other day, I think my sister would have joked about how I just did the perfect Alan impression, but she was too shocked to respond to my outburst.

"Your mother feels that because your father lives in England now, that you need a father figure around the house." He explained.

"Bu-but…" Dani tried to protest, but she was still speechless.

"Now, to start helping you, I took your leftover lunches from the fridges and made it safer and easier to swallow." He pulled two large milkshakes out of the paper bag. They were an odd brownish green color that looked to be the farthest thing from appetizing. "And, since I know you two share a lot, I mixed your meals, so it's half garden salad and half Philly cheesesteak."

Dani stared at the drinks, downright horrified. "Enjoy!" Horace encouraged us, oblivious to our feelings on the matter. "Oh, and more good news."

"Goodie." Dani commented sarcastically, eyes still on the drink.

"After the wedding, Alan and I are going to move in with you guys and your mom." Horace continued as Alan walked in.

"This is like falling down stairs that never stop." I muttered.

"It gets worse." Dani murmured. I looked at her. "There's only three bedrooms, including the master suite, so someone – you – is going to have to share with Alan."

"We'll be roomies!" Alan added as I processed that bit, a smile on his face. "Oh, but just to warn you, sometimes I snore like a hippo. Because when I have scary dreams, I turn into a hippo."

Dani and I exchanged horrified looks. How did we get ourselves into this one?

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: So, what did you guys think? Good, bad? In-between? I want to know! And what did you guys think of the Q &A, if you haven't told me already? I want to know, especially your theories on my little hints. Anyway, here's the schedule for the next little bit:**

 **November 28** **th** **– The New Kids Are Docs**

 **December 3** **rd** **– It's a Matter of Principal**

 **December 8** **th** **– Living the Dream**

 **December 9** **th** **– Mistaken Identity**

 **Anyway, I'll see you guys next time!**


	28. The New Kids Are Docs

**Kihonne: Wow, three updates on time in a row? That's a new record…which, in hindsight, isn't something to brag about. Lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter – The New Kids Are Docs was always one of my favorites – but before I move onto the story, here are this week's shoutouts.**

 **Xxx**

 **Duggie Davenport: I'm glad you liked it, and recognized the LR references. You have very interesting theories, some of which may be correct, and others that aren't so correct. Won't say which, though. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Algernon: I thought it might be you, but I wasn't entirely sure. I totally get it about school, believe me. I've got about another couple of weeks before exams start, and I suspect that the professors will start swamping us with work any day now. I'm glad you liked the chapter, especially the bit about Dani and her mother. They have a very interesting/complicated relationship, and I'm going to expand on that in upcoming chapters, so you'll get to see a fair bit of it. Oh, and I made a mistake – it's called the Messenger of Fear. It is a series, though I didn't realize that until yesterday. I thought there was only one book, but there are two or three, I think. I agree with you about time travel – my time travel episode will have an interesting affect on the rest of the series as a result. You are correct that there are only 8 more chapters, but don't worry – I'm not rushing things. I've had this arc planned out since before I started writing season 1, so a lot of thought has gone into it. I assume you were worried about it being rushed because of the short time periods between chapter updates, but I'm really only doing it like that to accommodate my exam schedule. I've got a couple of chapters already done, and since I will be taking a short HIATUS during my exam periods, I figured I would get the ones I have done out now. But don't worry – I do intend to put a lot of care and focus into the Mr. Terror Arc. But thank you very much for the advice. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **LabGirl2001: I know, right. I almost considered skipping the chapter, then I remembered the dinner. I'm glad you liked how I did that scene, by the way. As for Alivia, she hasn't missed too much action, maybe a chapter here or there, but that was because she really wouldn't have had much to do in the last chapter. But she is back in this one, along with Spotlight, so I think you'll like it. And Benjamin, yes. He is Baby Tecton – I figured I'd introduce him now so that people have an idea who he is when I write the Legacies story, which is set about 20-ish years in the future. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Kai is the best: I'm glad you liked it! I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: I'm glad you liked it, and yes, you should be excited about Leo appearing in the Power of Seven. I can guarantee at least three appearances, and possibly a fourth. As for your question…well, one Normo will discover the superhero secret in an upcoming chapter, but I wont' say who. The rest, however, will remain blissfully ignorant to the superhero secret for the rest of their lives…unless I change my mind somewhere down the road. I guess you'll just have to wait and see who finds out. Enjoy!**

 **PiLot Guest: Thanks. I like the bridge – it's pretty freaking cool. I'm glad you liked the Q &A. I hope you enjoy your time in South Carolina – I've never been, but it sounds nice there. I'm glad you liked both chapters, and I will take your suggestion under consideration. I've never been great with the girl-friendship chapters (if you've read the Lab Assistant, then you know that Bree and Calla, while good friends, weren't nearly as close as some of their other friendships) but you're right – it's high time the girls get a chance to work together on a plot. I will definitely add some of that in an upcoming chapter. Thanks for the suggestion. :)**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Rani: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns me, Alivia, Dani, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Dani's POV**

"So let me get this straight." Alivia stared at me. "Kaz briefly had superpowers, Baby Tecton arrived, and now Horace is marrying your mother?"

"Yeah, that pretty much sums up our week." I agreed, sighing.

"What the hell?" She demanded. "I was only gone for three days!"

"I know." Ollie nodded, walking up to us, his hands in his pockets. He glanced at me. "Oh, did you add the part where Skylar and Kaz were nearly killed by Slaughter Master?"

"No!" The Irish girl retorted.

"Yeah, Liv, you missed all the fun." Kaz agreed, leaning on the counter. "And isn't it your job to protect us from stuff like this?"

"A, I can't protect you from your parents' love lives, and B, it isn't my fault that you guys get into all this stuff when I'm not around!" She protested. We all laughed at that, much to her annoyance. "Jerks."

"Oh, by the way, Liv, this jerk need a favor." I looked at my best friend. "Can I borrow 15$? I'll pay you back."

"What for?" She questioned, even as she pulled out her wallet.

"My roots are showing – I need some more dye. And I'm kinda broke." I explained. She handed me some cash, then smirked at me.

"You know, I've always wondered what you'd look like if you stopped dyeing your hair." She commented.

"Blonde and like my mother." I grimaced at the very idea. "And, with my grades, I'd be subject to more than enough dumb blonde jokes, so I'm not gonna ever stop dyeing it."

"Fair enough." She agreed.

"You know, we should ask Horace for a raise." Kaz commented. He looked at us. "I feel like I spend half of my paycheck on tipping alone."

"That's because you try to be a big shot all the time." Alivia told him sternly. "When you go to the bank, you don't have to tip the teller. Or the ATM machine."

"That's your opinion." Kaz responded. He pulled a dollar bill out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Oh, and by the way, thanks for your opinion."

Alivia looked at him, then shrugged and pocketed the dollar bill. "Kaz, we can't ask Horace for a raise." I told my boyfriend.

"Dee's right." Ollie agreed. "The last time we did, Horace said the hospital was going broke and then sobbed uncontrollably for 10 minutes. It was super creepy."

"But isn't he going to be your step-dad soon? This is, like, the perfect time to ask for something like that. He's not going to risk upsetting your Mom by saying no." Kaz pointed out.

"A, Mom doesn't know we work for him." Ollie pointed out. "And B, asking for favors like that would be a sign that we're okay with this, and since I'm going to have to room with Alan, I'm very much not okay with this!"

"Also, can we avoid the word step-dad or any variation of that?" I piped up. "It's just weird to think of him like that."

"Fine, how about this?" Kaz was really adamant about this raise. "We ask him for a raise, and if he says no, we threaten to quit."

"And if he calls our bluff and tells us to quit?" Ollie questioned.

"He won't do that; we're irreplaceable. There's no one else here like us." Kaz assured him. Suddenly, the doors behind him opened up and three people walked in. The first was a tall guy with short black hair pointed upwards, the second was a tall girl with short, dark-colored hair cut in a bob-cut, and the third was a scrawny guy with short, light brown hair. For some odd reason that I couldn't explain, they looked a bit like us, actually. A lot like us, with a few exceptions: the guy with the black hair looked older, in the face at least, than Kaz was, and the other two had much rounder faces than either Ollie or I, making them both look a little younger.

"Okay, I thought I was the only one who could duplicate themselves." Alivia commented suspiciously, glancing between us and the three people who'd just randomly walked in.

"Whoa, look at this place!" The black-haired guy exclaimed. He pointed past us. "There's Blue Tornado!"

"And Solar Flare!" The girl exclaimed. The brown haired boy looked at his friends.

"This must be some kind of secret superhero hospital!" He decided. I looked at Kaz.

"You were saying?" I commented before sliding out of my seat. I walked up to the strangers. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Gulliver Shore. This is my sister, Rani, and my best friend Chaz Codman." The brown haired boy introduced himself, shaking my hand eagerly.

"Gulliver, Rani, and Chaz?" Kaz chuckled behind me. "What dorky names."

"How did you find this place?" Ollie questioned, coming up behind me.

"Well, we were hanging out at our favorite comic book shop, and Gully bet Chaz that he couldn't bust down a door with his head, like Gray Granite." Rani explained, a sweet smile on her face.

"I lost." Chaz added. "The bet and my peripheral vision."

"See?" Rani waved her hand near Chaz's head. The black-haired boy didn't react. "Nothing."

"Anyway, at the hospital, Chaz and Rani followed this guy who looked exactly like Blue Tornado into a janitor's closet." Gulliver continued. "We then solved the Caduceo puzzle and here we are." He paused. "Where are we, by the way?"

"You're at Mighty Med, a secret superhero hospital." Alivia walked up to us, looking over the strangers. She was clearly suspicious of them.

"You're Geminus." Chaz grinned. "The Irish superhero sidekick."

"Yes." She nodded slowly. "And these are Doctor Short, Doctor Broadman, and…the other Doctor Short." She glanced at Ollie and I. "I see why you guys prefer first names with your patients. That must get so confusing."

"So you guys are superheroes?" Gulliver looked at us, impressed. Rani's eyes, an indigo blue color, widened.

"Great alter-egos!" She exclaimed, grinning. "How do you hide your muscles like that?"

Kaz, of course, flexed at the mention of muscles. "We're not superheroes. We work here, helping superheroes." Ollie explained.

"But for the record, I have a serious six-pack under this shirt." Kaz interrupted him. I raised an eyebrow. "Okay, a one-pack, but my arms are huge under these sleeves!"

Deciding not to laugh at him in front of Chaz, Gulliver, and Rani, I turned back to them. Gulliver looked at us hopefully. "Hey, do you think you could get us jobs here too?"

"I'm sorry, but you guys can't work here." Ollie replied. "You're just three comic book geeks who stumbled in here off the street; you're completely unqualified."

"So we were." I whispered to him. He raised a hand over his mouth.

"We know that, but they don't." He whispered back.

"We do now." Chaz commented. "You guys are really bad at whispering."

Ollie and I exchanged glances. "Sorry."

"See, this is why you guys should have twin telepathy." Alivia commented. I chuckled, thinking that it would definitely be cool, and save us a lot of trouble.

"Dani, boys!" Horace shouted, rushing into the ER. He pushed Spotlight along in a gurney, the light-powered hero unconscious.

"What happened?" Alivia demanded, shocked to see how low her friend's vitals were.

"We're not sure. He's going to crash soon, though." Horace explained as he tried to stabilize him. We all looked at each other, thinking. Spotlight wasn't the most popular hero, so we weren't as familiar with his history as we were others, but we had all made it our job to do a fair bit of research on all the heroes in this world.

"He's turning red and barely breathing." I listed the symptoms. "And his heartrate is off the charts."

"Just like in issue 351, when he was exposed to the Aldebaran Crystal, his mortal weakness." Kaz continued, remembering the reference.

"Which can only be cured by a massive negative electrical charge!" Ollie finished. We spun around to inform Horace. "Horace, we figured-"

To our surprise, Gulliver, Rani, and Chaz had come to that conclusion a lot faster than us and had already shocked Spotlight with the negative electrical charge. He coughed weakly, his head rolling on the pillow.

"Hey," Alivia leaned, looking at him with concern on her face. "You okay?"

"Yeah I-" he winced, "I think so." He looked up and smirked charmingly when he saw Rani's face. "Thanks to you, beautiful."

"You're welcome." She told him, rolling her eyes. Horace turned to her, Gulliver, and Chaz.

"Well done, Normos I've never seen before!" He exclaimed cheerfully. He smiled. "You know, every couple of years, I like to impulsively hire someone with no experience and grossly underpay them, so welcome aboard!"

"Seriously?" I demanded.

"You've got to be kidding me." Kaz agreed.

"Horace, you can't hire them!" Ollie protested. "The hospital doesn't have the money!"

"Right, I forgot." Horace nodded. "Oliver, Dani, Kaz, you three are going to have to take a pay cut."

"C'mon…" I muttered. So much for that raise.

"Good thing you're not hurting for money." Horace chuckled as he walked away. "Yesterday, Kaz tipped me 20$ just for giving him his paycheck."

 **Xxx**

"I'm just saying, I don't like these new guys showing us up." Kaz commented, holding open the door to the Domain for me and Ollie.

"They're not showing us up." Ollie insisted, rolling his eyes.

"Uh, yeah, they are." I agreed with Kaz. "In an hour, they saved Spotlight, did all of our busy-work for us, discovered a cure for Advartian Worm Toe, and Rani got Spotlight's number."

"I can't name a girl that he hasn't given his number to, Dee." Ollie pointed. "And what, are you jealous?"

"Please." I rolled my eyes. "Just, how do you get all that done in an hour?"

"She's right, man." Kaz nodded. "And plus, being the only Normos at Mighty Med is our thing. It's bad enough that I have to share it with you two."

"Hey." Dani tried to punch him in the arm. He chuckled, grabbing her hand before she could and not letting go of it.

"Guys, let it go." Ollie told us. "Horace will probably put them on opposite shifts from us, so you'll never even have to see them."

"You sure?" I raised an eyebrow, because Gulliver, Chaz, and Rani were on our favorite couch, playing video games with Barry.

"Guys, meet my friends, Chaz, Gulliver, and Rani!" My ex-boyfriend called us over. "They're just like you, but so much better!"

"Thanks Bear." I commented.

"You are welcome, Dani." He smirked at me.

"Yes! High score!" Chaz exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "Oh yeah!"

"They even 'oh yeah!' better than you." Barry added.

"Thank you, Barry." Kaz had never liked Barry – I now realize it was because of me – so this probably wasn't helping.

"Oliver, these guys are stealing our lives!" Kaz exclaimed, turning to my brother.

"We have to take them out." I decided. Kaz looked at me.

"I was going to say 'take them down'." He commented. I shrugged.

"Either one works." I replied.

"You know, maybe instead of feeling threatened, you should view them as friendly competition." Ollie suggested. Then, Skylar walked through the door.

"There's my cute, little buddy." She smiled. Ollie beamed at her, but she just walked past him as if he were invisible, and hugged Gulliver tightly. "Thank you so much for helping me with Horace!"

"What did he help you with?" Ollie asked, trying to remind her that he was here.

"He helped me convince Horace to put a suggestion box in the hospital to boost morale." Skylar beamed at him. She looked back at Gulliver. "Thank you so much."

"Anytime." Gulliver assured her. He smiled. "Hey, do you want to go on a date with me on Friday?"

Ollie's eyes grew wide. "Hmm…dating someone I work with and see every day?" Skylar thought about it. "That would be so convenient!"

"Okay, I'm in." Ollie turned to us. "Those guys are going down."

 **Xxx**

"Man, I can't believe Horace is letting Chaz, Gulliver, and Rani assist in surgery, and we have to eat all the expired DNA samples." Kaz grumbled. Ollie and I looked at him, thinking we must have misheard him, but then he grabbed a DNA sample test tube and brought it up to his lips.

"Kaz!" Ollie scolded, slapping the tube out of his hands. "Horace didn't say we have to eat them, he just said get rid of them!"

"Yeah, but the garbage can is all the way over there." Kaz complained. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, but we can play basketball, see?" I tossed the test tube into the garbage can.

"Don't do that." Ollie chided. "You'll miss and then there will be broken glass all over the dirty floor…dirt."

"Yes, Ollie. There is dirt on the floor. You might want to bring that up with the janitors." I commented sarcastically. He shook his head.

"No, dirt. We should go through Chaz, Gulliver, and Rani's employee records to find some dirt on them." My brother insisted. Kaz and I grinned.

"That's an awesome idea." I slid out of my seat and headed down the hall, not looking back to see if the boys were following. But to our surprise, when we walked into the filing room, Chaz, Gulliver, and Rani were already inside, bent over a filing cabinet.

"Don't worry, Dr. Wrath, soon you will be resurrected." Gulliver announced, smug.

"And then we will exact our revenge on Kaz, Oliver, and Dani for what they did to you." Rani added. Kaz, Ollie, and I exchanged glances, and slowly began to back up, hoping we could sneak out before they realized we were there. But one of our shoes squeaked against the floor, alerting them to our presence.

"Hey!" All three of them spun around, Chaz pulling a high-tech blaster out from his pocket.

"Don't worry, I got this." Kaz assured us, reaching into his wallet and pulling out a 20$ bill. He offered it to them. "Why don't you just forget we were ever here?"

Unsurprisingly, Chaz bought it, reaching for the money, but Rani slapped his hand away before he could. "I can't believe you guys are evil." Ollie commented, looking at them.

"Though, it does justify us hating them for no reason." I commented, glancing sideways at him.

"You think we're evil now?" Gulliver challenged. "Wait until we bring our favorite professor back to life."

"Professor?" Ollie repeated. Chaz grinned.

"We go to Villain University, the world's best college for super criminals." He explained. "We destroyed Villain State this year. Literally: we blew it up with a bunch of missiles."

"Villain University? Do you guys learn powers there?" Kaz inquired. "And if so, do they offer an online course?"

"Kaz…" I gave him a look.

"Dr. Wrath taught us everything we know." Chaz bragged. "I learned to take any hero's power and reflect it back at them."

"And I learned to create mirages, like this." Gulliver turned his head to the left, and an image of Skylar appeared, wearing a Skylar-And-Gulliver-Forever t-shirt. She blew him a kiss before he made the image disappear.

"That was just really mean." Ollie commented, hurt. Rani chuckled.

"And I learned to manipulate the darkness." She commented. Before any of us could question what she meant, three shadows burst from the dark corner and wrapped themselves around our hands, a solid barrier acting like handcuffs.

"You're wasting your time." Kaz commented, pulling at the shadow-cuffs to no avail. "Dr. Wrath is ashes. He's gone."

"We just need to trick Caduceo into bringing him back." Gulliver assured us.

"But nobody knows who, or where, Caduceo is, so I think you might need a plan B." I commented.

"It's Horace Diaz and he's in the ER." Chaz commented. We all stared at them.

"What? How did you know that?" Ollie demanded, before realizing his mistake. "I mean? Horace Diaz? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard!"

Even he winced, however, when his voice broke, giving himself away. "Wow, you're as bad at lying as you are at whispering." Rani smirked.

"You need to take Intro to Lying and Whispering at V.U." Gulliver suggested before whispering something so softly that none of us could make out what he was trying to say.

"We can't hear you." I told him. He smirked.

"Anyway, before Dr. Wrath died, he discovered that Horace Diaz was Caduceo and told the entire super villain world." Rani continued, leaning on the filing cabinet. "All we have to do is trick him into using his powers on those ashes."

"Apparently, Dr. Wrath neglected to teach you that in comic books, explaining your who plan always ends badly." Kaz told them.

"Oh, it'll end badly for you." Gulliver assured us, smirking.

 **Xxx**

"You're not going to get away with this." I glared at Chaz, Gulliver, and Rani as they pushed us into the Domain.

"Could you say anything more cliché?" Rani rolled her eyes.

"If you give me a minute to think about it, probably." I retorted grouchily.

They pushed us to the far end of the room, Chaz still aiming his weapon at us. "What are you going to do to us?" Ollie questioned. Rani opened her mouth to reply, but Gulliver cut her off.

"In 10 minutes, you'll be a couple of cardboard standees." He told us. "I thought it would be ironic."

Before any of us could protest, Chaz shot us each with his blaster. It didn't hurt, really, but all my muscles froze at the same time, leaning me unable to move.

"I can't move." Kaz complained.

"We're turning two-dimensional." Ollie realized.

Gulliver and Chaz turned to walk away, but Rani grabbed her brother's shoulder before they could.

"Hey, you said I could destroy them." She looked at him, clearly annoyed. "We both know the 2-D Ray only works for 48 hours before the effects are reversed."

"Dr. Wrath's going to want to deal with them personally, don't you think?" Gulliver reminded her. She crossed her arms.

"You know, I don't even get why we're doing this." She muttered. She looked at him and Chaz. "We're powerful enough to take over the supervillain world on our own – we don't need Dr. Wrath."

"Oh, someone gets an offensive power, and she thinks she's queen of the world." Chaz mocked her. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine, we'll do it your way. But we better be rewarded for this." She declared, storming out ahead of them.

I don't know how long we stood there, frozen, until finally, someone came to our rescue. And by someone, I mean Gus. The younger boy walked out from the room in the back of the store, stretching and yawning as if he'd just woken up.

"Wow, that nap really got away from me." He commented.

"Gus!" I hissed. "Help!"

"Dani?" Gus walked around us to get a better look at our fronts. By this point, our bodies were completely flat and made of cardboard, the only part of us still able to move being our eyes and mouths. "Oliver? Kaz? What's going on? Am I still dreaming?"

Well, whatever works. "Yes. Yes, you're having a lucid dream. And you can do anything you want." Ollie agreed.

"And you know what would make this dream cooler?" Kaz added. "If you rescued us."

"That would be cool!" Gus agreed. "But first, I've always wanted to make one of you talk like a robot, one of you talk like my Uncle Steve."

"Hello, Gus." Kaz spoke slowly and without emotion in his voice, trying to sound mechanical. "How are you today?"

"That's amazing!" Gus exclaimed. "You sound just like my Uncle Steve! Oliver, you do a robot!"

"Gus, now pick us up and take us exactly where we tell you to go." My brother instructed, copying Kaz's impression. Gus frowned.

"That's a terrible robot impression. But you do sound just like my aunt Megan!" He told Ollie.

Thankfully, though, it was enough to get Gus to grab out cardboard cutouts, and leave the store with us. Though it was getting harder to speak as time went by, we managed to talk Gus through sneaking into Mighty Med and into the ER. He placed us down near the door, looking around in wonder.

"Whoa. My dream has gotten even cooler!" Gus exclaimed. He ran past Spotlight and Alivia towards the Mighty Med symbol on the wall. "This is the biggest M I've ever seen!"

"Guys?" Alivia walked over to us, staring. "What is he doing here?"

"And why are you cardboard cutouts?" Spotlight added, confused.

"Silver device, on the cart." I managed to get out through a mostly frozen mouth, my eyes darting towards it. Alivia frowned, then grabbed the device and pointed it at us. One by one, she unfroze us. "Oh, thank god. Gus, you're amazing."

"Uncle Steve voice!" The younger boy exclaimed.

"Gus, you are amazing." I did in my best robot voice. Kaz and Ollie began to push him towards the door. "Now go back to the Domain and wake up from this dream."

The second he was out the door, we turned back to Spotlight and Alivia. "Rani, Gulliver, and Chaz are evil. They're trying to bring Dr. Wrath back from the dead." Kaz explained quickly.

"What?" They both demanded, but we didn't have time to explain.

"We have to find them. They're after Horace!" Ollie told them.

"Filing room. Rani paged him, said there was an emergency." Alivia informed us, already turning to head for the hall. We ran down the hall, and pushed open the doors.

Horace was inside, standing over Alan's dead body, an axe lodged in the boy's back. Rani, Gulliver, and Chaz watched him as he began to chant his Caduceo chant.

"Horace, wait!" Ollie shouted.

"That's not really Alan!" I added. Alivia looked at me.

"You sure?" She questioned. I nodded, confident. If they were going to kill Alan, I figured that Rani would use her own powers, and they did say they were going to trick Horace…

"What are you talking about?" Horace demanded, staring.

"Those are Dr. Wrath's ashes." Kaz explained. "Look!"

He kicked his leg through Alan's body, and the mirage disappeared, revealing a pile of ashes beneath. Horace turned on Rani, Gulliver, and Chaz. "Freeze!" He ordered, trying to use his powers to freeze them. But Chaz raised his hand and deflected the power back at Horace, freezing him. "My freezing hand is frozen!"

"See, irony." Gulliver smirked.

"And now-" Chaz raised his 2-D Ray to shoot at us, but Alivia and Spotlight leapt into action, charging at them. Alivia split herself into two, both of them taking on Chaz. They knocked him over, making his aim go wild, and he shot Gulliver with his weapon, freezing the brown haired boy. Rani, meanwhile, had her hands full with Spotlight, who was using all his power to keep her from attacking us. It was cool, actually, watching her shadow energy push against his light energy, but in the end, he won, knocking her off her balance and onto the ground.

"Ha!" Alivia had fished a magnetic glove out of a filing cabinet. She raised it at Chaz and used it to retrieve the 2-D Ray from his grip. She aimed it at Chaz and froze him. "Spotlight!" She called. The older boy moved out of the way just in time for her to shoot Rani in the chest. All three of the villainous students were stuck, beginning to turn into cardboard cutouts.

"And to think, I was going to ask you out on a date." Spotlight commented, looking at Rani. She rolled her eyes.

"I would never have said yes." She retorted. Ollie, Kaz, and I stood up, confident that the danger had passed.

"The 2-D Ray's effects only last 48 hours." I warned the two heroes. Alivia nodded.

"That is more than enough time for us to get them into cells at Mighty Max." She assured us.

"As soon as they freeze." Spotlight added. "Man, this thing takes forever."

"We know." Kaz agreed, nodding.

"Thank you." Horace nodded appreciatively at us. "I almost wasted my last Caduceo power on Dr. Wrath. Even using it on Alan, I was kind of like, 'eh, should I?'"

"He's your nephew!" Alivia scolded, shocked.

"Geminus, I'm pretty sure you're the only one in the hospital who actually likes the kid, so this really shouldn't be surprising." Spotlight commented. She glared at him.

"Well, if you really want to thank us, I think I know how you can." Kaz offered as I bent down to sweep Dr. Wrath's ashes into an empty container. "By giving us a raise."

Almost immediately, Horace's expression turned sorrowful, and tears sprung to his eyes. "Oh, Kaz. I wish I could. I really do, but with the hospital facing such financial hardship, I just can't pay you what you rightfully deserve." He began to cry, dropping his face onto my boyfriend's shoulder. "It's so unfair!"

Kaz looked particularly uncomfortable, while we all stared. "Told you it would get creepy." Ollie muttered to Alivia as Horace continued to cry loudly.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? Good, bad? Somewhere in the middle? I want to know! Please review – it motivates me to write! Anyway, here's the schedule for the next several chapters:**

 **December 3** **rd** **– It's a Matter of Principal**

 **December 8** **th** **– Living the Dream**

 **December 9** **th** **– Mistaken Identity**

 **December 18** **th** **– Thanks for the Memory Drives**

 **December 23** **rd** **– The Dirt on Kaz and Skylar**

 **Okay guys, so remember to review, and I'll see you all next time!**


	29. It's a Matter of Principal

**Kihonne: Alright guys, sorry this a few hours later than planned, but I had to work, and I thought I'd be able to finish it before midnight, but as it s now currently 12:28, clearly that didn't happen. Anyway, I'm back with It's a Matter of Principal, but first, shoutout time!**

 **Xxx**

 **FangirlIsh13: Don't worry about it. As much as I love and need reviews, I can completely understand how life can get in the. I'm glad you liked the chapter, I hope you had a good Thanksgiving, and I hope you like this chapter too! :)**

 **Duggie Davenport: I'm glad you liked it so much. It means a lot. I hope you like this chapter just as much.**

 **LabGirl2001: I did consider making them a couple, but I figured it would A, be too cliché, and B, just get in the way of the story. I hope you like this chapter!**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: I'm glad you liked it, as well as Rani. It won't be the last we see of those three. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

 **PiLot Guest: Well, I really appreciated your input and your suggestion. If you have any other ideas or suggestions, especially if it's a plot idea for a chapter, I'm definitely open to them. Don't be afraid to suggest an idea. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Algernon: It would be interesting, though I make no promises. As for Rani, things are going to be rather interesting with her around. If your thoughts about my profile are what I suspect they are, you are correct. The only reason I don't have anyone's full names on there is because I'm trying to keep the identities of some characters a surprise for now. And don't worry – this isn't the last you've seen of her or her powers. Oh god, if PSATs are as bad I hear they are (unless we're applying for a college in the US, we Canadians do a different kind of testing), then I feel for you. I hope this chapter is able to help you distract yourself from the amount of work you've probably got. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: On with the chapter!**

 **Principal Howard: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, Barry, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Oliver's POV**

"I mean, seriously? When's the barbershop quartet practice today?" Kaz teased me as we walked to school. I glanced down at my red and white striped shirt, wishing it hadn't been laundry day today. Even Dani had made a couple of jokes about my shirt before leaving for soccer practice.

"My shirt is stupid, I get it!" I retorted. "And practice is at 6 o'clock, just like always."

"Good to know." My best friend chuckled as we walked onto school grounds. We quickly spotted Dani, who was speaking with Jordan and Barry. "Hey Dee."

My sister glanced back at us, and I could tell something was up. Her eyes were large and pleading, begging us to come over. "What are you guys talking about?" I asked, walking over.

"Barry and Jordan have made a shocking discovery." My sister told us, her tone serious.

"Superheroes are real." Jordan declared. Kaz and I stared at them. No wonder Dani looked freaked.

"Excuse me?" I questioned.

"I know it sounds crazy – it did to me at first too – but Jordan's right." Barry insisted. "Weird stuff have been happening all over town for years. And then, I saw a guy get stabbed in the leg by a spear-"

"Which I had nothing to do with." Jordan added.

"And when he took it out, he didn't bleed. At all." Barry continued.

"Dude, my older sister cut her leg open with some work-out stuff when she was six and there was hardly any blood." Kaz pointed out. "Sometimes, people just aren't bleeders."

"And what about Alivia?" He challenged. We exchanged looks. "A couple of weeks ago, I saw her having lunch with you, Dani, right before I caught her in the gym, talking to some blonde girl. How could she be in two places at once?"

"I think you're imagining things." Dani said quickly.

"Then what about this?" Jordan questioned, pulling out her phone. On it, she had a picture of Captain Atomic, dressed as a Normo. "It's Captain Atomic! It looks exactly like him."

"Captain Atomic isn't real, Jordan." Kaz lied. Barry frowned.

"I figured you guys would be more excited about this, seeing as you're the comic book geeks." Barry frowned.

"Well, you see, Barry, we understand what fiction is." Dani teased him, trying to play this off like a joke.

"I'm telling you. this guy is Captain Atomic and I'm going to find him and prove it." Jordan declared.

"And I'm going to help her. Mostly because I don't want anyone else to get stabbed with a spear." Barry announced.

"Guys, please. This is a huge city. You'll probably never see him again." Kaz reasoned.

"He's right there." Dani corrected him as Captain Atomic, wearing a dress jacket and tie, walked up to us.

"What's buzzin', cousin?" He greeted us. "I'm your new history teacher, Mr. Camido."

Jordan and Barry smirked, feeling as if they just lucked out. Meanwhile, our luck was running out, because if they discovered superheroes, there's no way they'd keep that to themselves.

 **Xxx**

Deciding that dealing with 'Mr. Camido' was more important than going to science class, we headed straight to the history classroom and pulled Captain Atomic out before he could begin class.

"Captain Atomic, what are you doing here?" Dani demanded, being careful to keep her voice low enough that no one passing by would hear her. Captain Atomic carefully placed his brief case on the ground before responding.

"There's been a lot of chatter about supervillain activity in this area." He proclaimed. "I'm here, undercover, to make sure the school is safe from no-good-nicks and ne'er-do-wells."

"Okay, if you're going to stick around, you're going to need to keep a low profile." Kaz decided, looking around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping.

"Our friends, Jordan and Barry, are convinced that you're Captain Atomic." I let him know.

"I read you three loud and clear." He assured us. He pointed at me. "Except you. You kinda mumble a bit."

Kaz and Dani both nodded in agreement as Alivia walked over to us. She looked over her shoulder, frowning. "Hey, guys?" She looked concerned. "Anyone want to tell me why Barry just tried to take a sample of my blood?"

"This is ridiculous." Dani muttered. She looked at us. "I'm going to go find Skylar, let her know what's going on in case either of Jordan or Barry recognize her from the comics."

"Jordan and Barry suspect that superheroes exist, and they're convinced that you and Captain Atomic here are part of the superhero world." I explained to the Irish girl as my sister walked away, shaking her head.

"Crap." The red head muttered. Kaz nodded.

"Yeah." He agreed. "But if you keep a low profile, you both should be fine. Just act normal…what is Jordan doing?"

I looked to see Jordan approaching us with a large, yellow box and a sensor attached to it, Barry standing a few feet behind her. She swiped the sensor slowly through the air, along Captain Atomic's back. "Ha! I knew it!" She exclaimed. "I'm detecting high levels of radiation! You are Captain Atomic."

"That doesn't prove anything! This whole city is filled with radiation." Kaz lied before holding the sensor close to me. "Beep, beep, beep, beep." He mimicked the radiation detector.

"You're just making beeping noises with your mouth." Jordan accused.

"That's the first symptom on radiation poisoning: involuntary mouth beeping." He replied. Alivia and I exchanged looks before beginning to make beeping noises ourselves. Even Captain Atomic got in on it, trying to prove Jordan right.

"Fine." Barry shrugged and took the detector and sensor from Kaz. He looked around and spotted Principal Howard walking in. "Let's see how well it works on somebody else."

He held the sensor close to Principal Howard and began to swipe it up his body. To everyone's surprise, it began to beep when Barry reached his upper chest. "Why are you beeping?" Barry questioned, frowning at the detector. Principal Howard gasped and clutched his chest.

"My experimental plutonium heart!" He gasped, doubling over. "You made it malfunction. Why would you do this?"

Jordan and Barry both looked on in horror as he collapsed. "Jordan!" Barry, thinking quickly, shoved the detector into the blonde girl's hands. "Why would you do this?"

"Barry!" Jordan snapped, annoyed. Alivia frowned.

"Should we, uh, call and ambulance?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Probably." Kaz agreed.

 **Skylar's POV**

"So they're seriously convinced that superheroes exist and that we're heroes?" I questioned. Dani had caught up with me on my way out for spare and had quickly explained to me what was going on with Barry and Jordan.

"Well, almost. They suspect Liv and 'Mr. Camido', but right now you're still in the clear." Dani assured me. "And they think that Kaz, Ollie, and I are clueless, so the four of us are fine, so long as no one realizes your secret."

"I know your secret." Dani and I both jumped at the sound of Stephanie's voice, and spun around to see the blonde mean girl standing directly behind us. We exchanged glances, wondering how much she overheard.

"What secret?" I said slowly when Stephanie didn't elaborate.

"Well, you know how I do extensive background searches on everyone in the school so I can find their embarrassing secrets and bend them to my will?" She questioned. Just then, Gus ran in, carrying a large dry cleaning bag.

"Here's your dry cleaning, Stephanie." He told her, holding it up for her to see.

"Good." She smirked. "Your secret's safe with me, Mr. Still-Bites-His-Nails…On his feet."

"Can I help it if I'm limber and have delicious toenails?" Gus demanded. Stephanie rolled her eyes and turned back to me.

"Anyway, when I did my search on you, I discovered that there's no Connie Valentine. It's a fake identity."

Crap, crap, crap. My cover was blown. "Stephanie, it's not what you think." I told her.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Stephanie." Dani added, looking at the girl carefully.

"Oh, I know what I'm talking about." She assured us. "You're not who you say you are. You're…" I held my breath, expecting to hear the words 'Skylar Storm' come out of her mouth. "…a princess from another country living here in hiding!"

Dani and I glanced at each other, then the short haired girl shrugged. "Dang it!" I sighed dramatically. I would let Stephanie think whatever she wanted, so long as it wasn't the truth. "My secret is out; I am a princess in hiding."

"Huh. If any one here was a princess in hiding, I would have guessed it was Genevieve." Gus commented, frowning. I shrugged, still not sure why the fairly timid girl insisted on wearing a ball gown to school everyday, along with a tiara.

"Why are you in hiding?" Gus questioned, curious. I froze, not sure what to say. Thankfully, Dani, always the best liar out of all of us, was quick on her feet.

"Her father, the king of…Calderiania, was overthrown by rebels." She explained. I nodded, going along with her story.

"And he sent me here for safety while he fights to regain his crown." I added. Stephanie beamed.

"It all makes perfect sense now!" She exclaimed. Dani and I both stared at her.

"It does?" I questioned. Whose Kool-Aid was this girl drinking?

"Yes! It explains why you dress and act like such a dork! To not seem like royalty!" Stephanie exclaimed. She frowned. "Though that doesn't really explain why you do, Dani."

Dani frowned and looked at her clothing before pulling her jacket closed. "Look, you guys have to keep my secret, or I could be in real danger." I told them seriously. If they went around blabbing about a princess in their school, it wouldn't take long for someone to discover my real secret.

"Of course!" Stephanie agreed before smirking. "But only if you make me a duchess. I want people to bow down before me like royalty."

"People already bow down before you." Dani pointed out.

"Yes, but I want them to be, like, royally forced to." The blonde haired girl insisted.

"I, uh…" Well, I wasn't actually royalty, so I couldn't make her a duchess. "I would love to make you a duchess, but…"

"It's an honor only bestowed on the most worthy individuals." Dani intervened. I sent her a grateful smile.

"Then I'll prove how worthy I am. I'll start by showering you with gifts. " Stephanie insisted. She turned to Gus. "Give her royal highness your lunch! Now!"

"Fine." Gus sighed. I started to object.

"Gus, you don't need-" Dani cut me off.

"Your highness," She smirked a little. "When someone offers to show how worthy they are, it is rude to deny them the opportunity."

In other words, she wanted to see what she could get out of this.

"It's a BLT." Gus handed me a sandwich. "Bacon, lettuce, and toenails."

"Ew." I dropped the food, disgusted. I certainly wasn't going to eat that.

"I thought Dani was the one who hated bacon." Gus frowned, confused.

 **Oliver's POV**

"We dodged a bullet there." Kaz muttered as he, Alivia, and I walked into the school lobby. "It's only a matter of time before Jordan and Barry figure out that Mr. Camido is a superhero from the 1950s. I mean, he keeps referring to computers as 'those fancy radios'." He did his Captain Atomic impression, then sighed. "Where is Dee? She loves that impression."

"No idea." I hadn't seen her or Skylar all day.

"Wait, what if we try to get him fired?" Alivia suggested, surprising us. Usually, Liv was trying to keep us out of trouble, not risk getting us into some.

"Alivia McLean, are you suggesting that we screw with a teacher?" Kaz questioned, impressed.

"Only because if he gets caught as a hero, my Dad will probably pull me off this assignment." She reminded us. Right, if her Dad pulled her off the bodyguard assignment, we'd barely get to see her.

"Good idea, Liv, but the only person who can fire teachers is Principal Howard." I reminded her.

"I have an idea!" Kaz hissed suddenly, dropping his voice to a whisper.

"Nice secretive whisper!" I whispered back. Ever since Chaz, Rani, and Gulliver had insulted our ability to whisper, Kaz, Dani, and I had been working on improving that skill.

"You too!" Kaz whispered back.

"What's the idea?" Alivia questioned, also whispering. Kaz smirked, and quickly laid out the plan for us.

 **Xxx**

"Principal Howard!" I watched as Kaz approached our principal. "Can I talk to you? I'm kinda having a personal problem."

"Kaz, you can always talk to me!" Principal Howard assured him. "During my office hours, which are between 11:30 to 11:45, every other Thursday…in May."

"It'll only take a minute." Kaz promised him. Principal Howard stopped. "So, I'm trying to impress this girl I like, and she really likes robot impressions…"

"Go on." Principal Howard encouraged him.

"Unfortunately, I'm terrible at robot impressions, and I just remembered that you did such an amazing impression at last year's staff talent show. So…will you help me, Principal Howard?"

"I think you mean, Principal Boogie-Bot 3000." Our principal replied before beginning to show Kaz how to do a robot impression. Kaz copied him, purposefully screwing up at times to make sure the lesson took longer. I whistled lightly, knowing that Alivia would be waiting for my signal. She nodded and moved from her spot on the stairs to walk into the history classroom.

"Since when are there fifty stars on the American flag?" Captain Atomic questioned her as she walked into the history classroom.

"Never mind that!" The fiery haired hero insisted. "You were right! There is a villain at this school, and he's too powerful for me to take care on. I need your help!"

"Who is it?" Captain Atomic demanded.

"Principal Howard!" Alivia exclaimed, eyes wide to make her look scared.

"Yeah!" I ran up to him to give my friend some back up. "He's a robot villain and he shut down all telecommunications world wide. And we can't call the League of Heroes because of it!"

Outside the classroom, I could hear Kaz telling Principal Howard about how robots try to rip the arms off of human beings, and how my sister would love to see him try something like that. Captain Atomic started out of the classroom at the perfect moment, in time to see Principal Howard 'attempt' to rip Kaz's arms off.

"Leave him be!" Captain Atomic shouted, pushing Kaz away from Principal Howard and attempting to remove the educator's head.

"Get off of me!" Principal Howard protested, trying to push Captain Atomic away.

"Not until I unhinge your robot head!" Captain Atomic argued. Principal Howard pushed him away, and glared at him angrily.

"I'm not an actual robot! I was just doing a masterful impression of one." He snapped.

"Lies!" Captain Atomic retorted. "I have proof that you've shut down all telephone devices in the world."

Seconds later, Principal Howard's phone rang. I had to stifle my laugh as our principal answered it. "I'm sorry, but I can't right now." He told the caller. "I'm talking to a crazy person."

"Uh…" Captain Atomic clearly realized he'd been played. "In my defense, that was a pretty masterful robot impression."

"Listen, we all make mistakes." Principal Howard put his hand on the hero's shoulder. "Just not all as stupid as this one, so you're fired. So get out."

Captain Atomic looked crushed as he walked back to his classroom, so crushed that for a moment I felt bad. But I knew that it was the right decision to make.

"I guess he's history." I joked. Alivia, Kaz, and Principal Howard just stared at me. "Because he taught history and now he's gone?" I explained.

"Oh, we understood it. It just wasn't that funny." Alivia told me.

 **Skylar's POV**

"So, you excited for your soccer tournament?" I questioned, sitting down next to Dani on one of the benches outside. She grinned at me.

"Regionals, all the way across the state? I'm thrilled." She replied, taking a bite of her salad. "Not only do I get to play the game I love, but I also get to get out of town for a while."

"What is with you and trying to leave Philadelphia?" Dani was always mentioning about how she was planning on leaving right after graduation. She shrugged.

"It's just, aside from Caldera, I've never left home. And honestly, things with my mom kinda suck, and the only reasons I'd have to stay would be you, Liv, Ollie, and Kaz."

"So you just want to leave?" I was surprised. I would do anything to be able to go home, and all she wanted to do was abandon hers.

"Not for forever, but for a while, yeah." She glanced around. "Liv and I were talking. We're thinking of going backpacking across Europe after graduation."

"Cool?" Was that something Earth girls usually did?

"It is cool." Dani confirmed. "Not sure if we're going to invite the boys though. Ollie hates travelling, and-"

"Connie!" She was interrupted mid-sentence by Stephanie as she walked over to us. She looked at us. "Ew, gross."

I glanced down at my lunch – a plate of sushi I'd gotten from the school cafeteria. "You don't like sushi?"

"No, I love sushi. I hate your shoes." She told me. Dani frowned, looking at the shoes, then shrugged, not disagreeing with the blonde. "Very clever. No one would expect a princess to wear something that hideous."

"That's exactly what I was going for: hideous." I lied, grimacing. I, for one, liked my shoes.

I started to walk away, hoping to leave Stephanie far behind, but she stopped me before I could.

"Wait! I figured out a way to prove my duchess-ness." She told me, smiling. "I applied for Dutch citizenship."

Dani let out a short, sharp, amused laugh, her hand flying to her mouth. Stephanie glared at her, then smiled back at me.

"And I also got you a bodyguard." She added, clapping her hands. Gus raced to my side and stood there, his back stiff and unnaturally straight.

"This really isn't necessary." I assured her, trying to back away. "Dani and I were just hoping to eat our lunches in peace."

Dani took my queue and stood up, intending on following me to find somewhere else for us to eat, but Gus stopped us.

"No, you can't eat that!" He told me, slapping the chopsticks out of my hands. "The Calderianian rebels might be trying to poison you. I need to taste it first."

Before I could even protest, Gus grabbed a piece of sushi out of my tray and popped it into his mouth. He chewed it slowly, then smiled. "It's good." He assured us. "It's really good. Not toenail good, but it'll do."

Without a warning, he took the entire sushi tray from me and walked off, digging into my lunch.

"C'mon!" I complained, watching him go. Dani chuckled.

"Yeah, I saw that one coming." She chuckled before glancing at me. "I've got an extra salad in my bag – Ollie's always forgetting his lunch."

 **Barry's POV**

"So, I guess Mr. Camido isn't a superhero." I hummed, disappointed. I'd spent the last several weeks pouring over comics in the Domain – working there with Gus gave me easy access to them – and after everything I'd seen lately, I just knew that superheroes had to be real. But perhaps Jordan and I should have targeted someone else. Alivia, perhaps. I was fairly sure that she was the hero Geminus, judging by the fact that she seemed to be able to be everywhere at once, and her appearance greatly resembled the comics.

"Hey, wanna go grab a bite to eat or something?" Jordan suggested. I nodded.

"Yeah, sure." I agreed. "I just need to grab my History textbook. I think I left it in Mr. Camido's room."

We walked into the classroom, just to see Principal Howard standing by the desk, his back turned to us. "This is unit 238," he spoke into a metal device on his arm. "Captain Atomic is no longer a threat. I've downloaded your final instructions and I'm installing them now."

To our surprise, we saw him plug a USB drive into his ear.

"What the…?" I questioned, confused. Jordan grinned as our principal spun around.

"Aha!" She exclaimed. "You were talking about Captain Atomic! We were right; superheroes DO exist!"

I turned to look at her. "So the fact that he just put a flash drive into his head, you're not going to comment on that?"

"I just have to take a picture." Jordan smiled, ignoring me. She walked up to Principal Howard, pulling out her phone.

"Jordan, maybe that's not such a good idea." Something seemed off here. Principal Howard wasn't particularly brave – I knew for a fact that he had a full-on panic attack one time when some kid nearly knocked him into the school's pool – nor was he particularly helpful to anyone in the school. And his little message seemed a little weird. Something was definitely off here.

"Please, Barry." Jordan rolled her eyes and posed with our principal. "I can't believe superheroes are actually real."

Principal Howard reached out and snatched the cell phone from her. "Well, unfortunately for you, so are supervillains." He growled, his eyes literally turning red. Oh, crud.

 **Xxx**

While, I didn't have any particular plans for tonight, I certainly wasn't expecting to find myself tied up and held hostage with Jordan in my history classroom by our principal. Said principal glared at us, his red eyes shining.

"Who is the third Normo that works with you at Mighty Med?" He demanded, for about the fifth time. What he was asking made no sense. I figured by 'Normo' he meant normal people, but what the hell was Mighty Med? And why did he think we worked there?

"We don't know what you're talking about!" I told him.

"But it is so cool how your eyes glow red when you're angry." Jordan added, obviously trying to butter him up.

"Let's see how cool it is when I destroy you, like this." He raised his arm, the one with the metallic device on it, and pressed a button on the device. It shot a blast of energy at the globe that was sitting on a nearby bookshelf. Jordan and I watched in horror as it melted before our eyes.

"We don't know anything, I swear." Jordan told Principal Howard, looking as desperate as I felt.

"Please." Principal Howard rolled his eyes. "There are three Normos working at Mighty Med – two boys and a girl – and I know they go to this school. You have to be them!" He told us.

Two boys and a girl. Oliver, Kaz, and Dani. I should have known. I'd suspected for a long time that they were keeping a big secret from the rest of us, and this would completely fit.

"Dani, Oliver, and Kaz." Jordan realized, speaking out loud. "Of course! That's where they go after school everyday!"

"Dani, Oliver, and Kaz…" Principal Howard hummed thoughtfully. "Thank you for that information, Miss Zuehlsdorff."

I smirked. "Your last name is Zuehlsdorff?" I chuckled. "No wonder you never use it."

"Make fun of it, and I'll kill you." Jordan threatened.

"I'll have to make sure that Kaz and the siblings are the right Normos before I take them to my superior." Principal Howard said to himself, ignoring us. He grabbed Jordan's phone off the desk and tossed it to her. She caught it in her bound hands. "Facetime Kaz. It's four o'clock; he might be in Mighty Med right now."

"You know my laptop has a bigger screen. We should use that." I offered. Jordan nodded eagerly.

"We'll go get it." She agreed. We tried to stand, but Principal Howard stopped us.

"Nice try." He told us before his eyes glowed a dark shade of red.

 **Oliver's POV**

"You know, I should really get you to pay me if I'm going to fill out your paperwork for you." I commented, handing Kaz a stack of papers. He smirked.

"You don't make Dani pay you." He pointed out, just as his phone began to buzz. He pressed a button on the screen and answered the Facetime call.

"Kaz, it's Principal Howard." I looked up, surprised. Kaz's eyes widened.

"Principal Howard." He chuckled nervously, eyes darting towards me for a second. "Okay, if this is about the fake vomit on your desk, I didn't put it there. I only use real vomit; when I pull a prank, I commit."

"I'm actually calling to apologize for Mr. Camido's behavior today." Suddenly, Kaz waved me over. I stepped behind him, not close enough for Principal Howard to see me, but enough so that I could see Jordan and Barry sitting behind our principal. Something was clearly wrong; Jordan was mouthing the word 'help' over and over again, while Barry was mouthing 'he's evil'. "Would you mind filming the entire room so I can be sure that you're safe, and that Alivia and Oliver aren't traumatized."

"Actually, Alivia is extremely traumatized." Said red-head was just entering the room as Kaz said that. She stopped, looking at him like he was an idiot. "Yeah, she's…crying like a big baby. Better go get her a pacifier!"

He hung up quickly. "Like a baby?" Alivia questioned, approaching us.

"Principal Howard is a villain." Kaz told her. She frowned.

"How do you know?" She questioned.

"We're pretty sure he's holding Jordan and Barry hostage." At least, that's how it looked. "We need to rescue her."

"Alright, let's go." Alivia nodded, beginning to head for the door.

"Wait, you can't fight him alone. He's got hostages, and we don't know what he can actually do." I reminded her. She gave me a look.

"Please, Oliver. When I'm involved, it's always three against one." She replied cockily before heading out the door. Kaz and I exchanged looks – we loved Alivia and we were always grateful to have her on our side, but she could get overconfident at times, and we both knew she would need back up for this.

"There's Captain Atomic!" Kaz pointed out.

"I hope he's not still mad at us." I mentioned before rushing up to the hero. He dumped his box of office supplies onto the counter.

"Go away. I'm still mad at you." He told us, still sounding hurt. "Because of you, I can't complete my mission."

"We're really sorry." Kaz apologized. "But the chatter you've been hearing is true. Principal Howard really is a villain."

"Geminus has gone to fight him, but she's going to need help." I added.

"I knew Principal Howard was a villain. To the school!" Captain Atomic declared. "But you walk – I'm still mad at you."

 **Barry's POV**

"Look, since we don't know anything, can't you just let us go?" Jordan pleaded with Principal Howard.

"I'm afraid not." He told us. "And since you know my secret, I'm going to have to destroy you."

"In a classroom?" I questioned, frowning. That'd be a crappy place to die. "Can't you just drop us into a tank of sharks or a pit of snakes instead? That would at least be a cool way to die."

"Barry's right." Jordan nodded eagerly, picking up on where I was heading with this. "Why don't you set that up, and we'll meet you there?"

He almost fell for it. Almost. "Cut it out!" He snapped at us. Jordan and I quieted down as he rolled up his sleeve even more, revealing his whole arm. The metal device was the most noticeable part of it, looking futuristic and high-tech. It spanned from just below his elbow to the back of the wrist, about an inch higher than the infinity symbol that was tattooed to the inside of his wrist.

He raised his arm, about to destroy us like he did the globe, but was stopped by a sudden shout. "Hey!"

He spun around to see a tall, green-clothed superheroine with long, fiery red hair. I recognized her easily, knowing Alivia's voice when I heard it.

"Geminus." Principal Howard smirked. "They sent a sidekick to deal with me?"

"Well, why waste the big guns on someone as pathetic as you?" She teased.

"Oh my gosh, Alivia IS Geminus!" Jordan exclaimed. Alivia looked at us, exasperated.

"Really Jordan? What is the point of having a secret identity if you're just going to blurt my name out like-" She didn't get the chance to finish, however, before Principal Howard blasted her with his weapon. She hit the ground, but rolled over onto her back. As she did, her body seemed to melt before our eyes, splitting into three identical versions of herself. They all got to their feet, and charged at Principal Howard, but he seemed to be prepared for it.

He shot one in the chest before ducking past another to punch the third Alivia in the throat. The red-head stumbled back in surprise, coughing and gasping, but it was like the other two didn't notice. The one that wasn't attacked slammed her elbow into Principal Howard's back.

Her elbow bounced off with a clang and she cried out in pain, clutching it tightly. Principal Howard, not at all hurt by her attack, rushed into her, knocking her onto the ground outside the classroom. She hit the ground hard, and her duplicates disappeared.

"Liv!" I shouted, craning my neck to get a better look at things. Principal Howard grabbed her by her arm, ignoring her pained cry as he forced to her feet.

"Unhand that girl!" I could barely see him through the doorway, but I was certain that it was Mr. Camido who had come to our friend's rescue. "I don't mean remove her hands, I mean – you know what I mean!"

Then we heard the sounds of energy blasts before Kaz and Oliver slipped into the classroom. "Are you guys alright?" Kaz demanded as he untied Jordan's hands. Oliver undid the ropes around mine.

"We're fine, but we're gonna talk about this." I told them.

"Figured." Oliver agreed as we slipped out of the classroom. Mr. Camido had Principal Howard pinned up against the wall, with Alivia hanging back by the stairs, keeping her eyes locked on the battle. We scurried over to the lockers, their doors slightly ajar.

"Watch out!" Kaz warned as one of Principal Howard's energy blasts (well, that's not something I ever thought I'd say) went wild. Oliver pulled the locker door towards him, using it to deflect the shot.

"We need a better place to hide." Oliver muttered. I looked to my left.

"Over here!" I suggested, making a break for it. I raced over to just behind the staircase, where we could avoid being attacked and watch the fight. Oliver and Kaz followed behind, but Jordan stayed where she was, seemingly frozen by shock. "Jordan, come on!"

She didn't seem to hear me, unable to draw her attention from the fight. Principal Howard landed a few good punches to Mr. Camido's stomach, which knocked him backwards so that he was only a couple of feet in front of Jordan. Principal Howard smirked and shot a blast of energy, but Mr. Camido leapt out of the way. Unfortunately, the energy blast rebounded off the locker and right into Jordan's shoulder.

"Jordan!" Oliver shouted as she hit the ground, unconscious.

"C'mon!" I hissed to Kaz before bolting to Jordan's side. Kaz followed my lead and grabbed the girl by her arms. I took her legs and together we got our friend out of harm's way.

Meanwhile, Mr. Camido had resorted to using a yo-yo to protect himself and Alivia, but for some reason, spinning it around in a circle at light speeds turned it into a pretty good shield. I mean, logically, it made no sense at all, but since it was obvious that we were dealing with beings and items that didn't obey the laws of reality, I figured, what the hell?

"They won't last like that." Kaz commented. I nodded.

"Sooner or later, the force field will break." It made sense. "And Liv's injured."

"We have to help them." Oliver agreed as Mr. Camido stumbled. Alivia grabbed his arm with her good hand, trying to support him, but it was obvious that she was in a fair bit of pain.

Then, the doors to the left opened up and Connie, Gus, Stephanie, and Dani walked in. They all stopped in the doorway, staring at the scene in front of them in surprise. Then, Connie leapt into action. She jumped into the air, spinning around and kicking her legs at Principal Howard before swinging a couple of punches his way.

Dani, on the other hand, skirted around the edge of the fight until she reached our hiding place. She plopped herself down between Kaz and Oliver, then looked back at the fight. "So what-cha doin'?" She questioned, mimicking that Isabelle girl from Phineas and Ferb.

"Oh, well, Principal Howard is an evil android, and Captain Atomic and Alivia are getting their butts kicked. Oh, and Jordan and Barry know about superheroes." Kaz supplied. Dani nodded.

"Oh, okay." She accepted his response.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing!" Stephanie exclaimed. "Principal Howard is a rebel from Calderiania trying to attack the princess!"

"Wha-" Oliver began to ask, but Dani cut him off.

"They think that she's a princess from the country Calderiania whose father is at war with rebels." She explained.

"Gotcha." Oliver nodded. I stared at them, then shook my head.

"You guys are weird." I commented.

"And you're just figuring this out now?" Dani commented, smirking sideways at me as Connie was thrown into a wall of lockers.

"Stephanie, Gus, run!" She ordered.

"Connie, as your royal bodyguard, it is my duty to protect you from danger!" Gus tried to object, but the moment he saw Principal Howard fire a laser from his arm, he retracted his statement. "I tender my resignation!" He shouted before running from the room.

"Hey!" To my surprise, Stephanie didn't follow Gus' lead. She pulled one of her shoes off. "Nobody hurts my princess!" She exclaimed before charging at Principal Howard and proceeding to attack him with it.

He pushed her away after her blows did no damage, and raised his arm to shoot her, but Mr. Camido got to him first, tackling him out of nowhere.

"Stephanie, wait for me in the courtyard!" Connie ordered. Stephanie nodded, curtsied, then bolted from the room.

"He's unbeatable." I muttered to Kaz, Dani, and Oliver. My ex-girlfriend shook her head.

"No way. No one is unbeatable." She told me. "He's got a weakness, we just need to figure out what it is."

"Well, I'm pretty sure he's the same model android as those in the Rise of the Cabal of Chaos." Oliver mentioned.

"Right!" Kaz nodded. He looked towards the fight. "Captain Atomic! Remove the flash drive from behind his ear!"

"So that is Captain Atomic?" I demanded, only for Dani to hush me.

"What's a flash drive?" He questioned in response before Principal Howard blasted him in the stomach. Captain Atomic hit the lockers and slid to the ground, injured.

"We got this!" Alivia called. She dropped the hand that was clutching her injured arm, then looked at Connie. "Girl power?"

"Always." Connie replied with a smile. They turned on Principal Howard, then rushed at him, tackling him to the ground. Connie held him down while Alivia pulled the flash drive from behind his ear, rolling out of the way the moment it was in her hands.

Principal Howard pushed Connie away, then raised his arm to attack Alivia, but Connie grabbed him from behind, sticking a silver key into the flash drive's slot in his head.

Our principal began to short circuit and spark before stiffening. His eyes turned bright red and his ears began to smoke before finally, his head literally popped off his body. The body ran around in a panic, bolting from the school.

"Well that's not something you see everyday." Kaz commented, watching the headless body flee the scene.

Dani, Kaz, Oliver, Captain Atomic, Connie, Alivia, and I approached the android's head, watching it with unease. "Well, we better take our headmaster to Mighty Max prison for a detention." Oliver commented. We all looked at him. "Get it? Because-"

"We get it. It just wasn't that funny." Connie commented. I looked around at the scene around us. Androids, superheroes, headless bodies, and princesses? Today was too much.

"Okay, someone explain, now." I ordered. Before anyone could, we heard some shuffling from behind us.

"Jordan!" Oliver remembered. We jogged over to her as she began to rise, a confused look on her face.

"A little groggy, but I'm fine." She assured us. I glanced over my shoulder to see Connie and Captain Atomic leave, Principal Howard's head stuffed into a backpack. Alivia hung back, once again clutching her injured arm.

"Okay, you guys probably have a lot of questions." Oliver stated the obvious. Jordan nodded, frowning.

"Yeah, what happened here?" She asked, wincing as she brought her hand up to her head. "I can't remember anything."

"You can't?" Dani questioned slowly as the rest of us exchanged looks.

"I can't remember anything either." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I had hated how Dani had lied to me in the past, and then her, Kaz, and Oliver when we were friends, but now I understood why. All of this, this was dangerous and crazy. My head was spinning, and I had the feeling that I'd only just barely scraped the surface of the superhero world. If lying to her was the best way to protect Jordan from it, so be it.

"Me either." Dani agreed.

"Must be the radiation." Oliver commented. Kaz began to make beeping sounds again, then Oliver, then me, then finally a very confused Dani. Jordan just looked at us, then walked away, confused.

"Okay, now the real explanation please." I told them, looking at all of them pointedly.

"Can it wait, actually?" Alivia interrupted us. She glanced at her arm. "I think I broke my arm."

"Let me see." Oliver sighed and drew her over to the stairs. She held out her arm, sucking in a gasp as she tried to straighten it. "We should probably get this x-rayed."

"I'll go grab my wallet and we can grab a cab." Kaz offered, walking away. I turned to Dani.

"Well, I guess it's up to you to explain." I commented.

"Darn it." She muttered under her breath. She sighed and jerked her head at the school doors. "C'mon. It's a long story, so we might as well go get smoothies or something."

 **Skylar's POV**

"Stephanie, that was amazing!" I exclaimed, bursting out of the school. I couldn't believe what she had done, just to protect me. "I can't believe you risked your high heel wedges for me!"

"Well, I already wore them twice, so I was going to throw them out anyway." She replied, shrugging it off. She looked at me hopefully. "So can I become a member of the Calderianian royalty now?"

Well, what the hell? "Sure." I agreed. "Why not?"

She gushed in happiness as I pulled a pen out of my pocket. I touched both her shoulders with it. "I now dub thee Duchess Stephanie of Calderiania. You may rise."

"I'm already standing." She pointed out. I shrugged.

"I know. They just always say that." I replied. At least they did in the movies I'd seen.

"This is so exciting!" She exclaimed as Gus walked into the courtyard. "I can't wait to tell everyone I'm a duchess and make them feel, like, even worse about themselves!"

"No!" I stopped her. "You can't tell anyone! Because…" I scrambled for a reason. "You wouldn't be safe. No one can ever know about this."

"Right." She sighed and turned around to face Gus. I noticed that she slipped off one shoe and picked it up in her hands. "Sorry Gus, but I'm going to have to execute you."

"No!" I stopped her before she could commit murder. "Gus can know! It's not like anyone believes anything he says anyway."

"Gee, I wonder why?" Stephanie smirked.

"I detect a hint of sarcasm." He accused.

" **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Okay, what did you guys think? Good, bad? In the middle? I want to know what you guys thought! Anyway, here's the schedule for the rest of the story:**

 **December 8** **th** **: Living The Dream**

 **December 9** **th** **: Mistaken Identity**

 **December 18** **th** **: Thanks for the Memory Drives**

 **December 23** **rd** **: The Dirt on Kaz and Skylar**

 **December 30** **th** **: The Mother of All Villains**

 **December 31** **st** **: Childhood's End**

 **I can hardly believe there's only 6 more chapters left. Anyway, remember to leave a review, and I will see you all in a few days.**


	30. Living The Dream

**Kihonne: Alright, I'm back with another chapter folks! Sorry it's a little late – some things came up that got in the way. Anyway, here's Living The Dream! But before I get to the story, it's shoutout time!**

 **Xxx**

 **Power214063: No, I will not be writing Lab Rats VS Mighty Med, simply because A, I spent about 3 weeks working on it for the Lab Assistant and I really don't want to do it again, and B, if I were to include Dani in it, it would confuse people as to which was the correct timeline. However, Mistaken Identity will be replacing it, and in a way that I think you will all like.**

 **LabGirl2001: Yes, updates won't be a weekly thing for the rest of the story, so I don't blame you for not realizing I was supposed to update. I've got the dates at the bottom of the chapter, so you can know what the plan is for the next little bit. I'm glad you liked the chapter. As for Barry, the characters do have an explanation for not memory-wiping him, but really, I just needed him to remember for plot-purposes.**

 **Duggie Davenport: I'm glad you liked it, and that you're excited for the next few chapters. As for whether or not there will be sneak peek, that really depends on whether or not I have time to work on any more of the Power of Seven before I finish this story. See, I only have the first chapter done, and I don't want all my sneak peeks to be from the same chapter, and with my exams coming up, I don't know how much time I'm going to have to write extra stuff for that chapter. However, I don't think it'll be too much of an inconvenience, since The Power of Seven will be posted on January 9** **th** **, only about a week and a half after this story ends. So, even if I don't get a sneak peek out, you won't have to wait too long for The Power of Seven. Though I totally get why you're so excited for it – I'm thrilled at the opportunity to write for Calla, Chase, and Bree again.**

 **PiLot Guest: You're welcome. Your thoughts about Barry are interesting, though I'm gonna just keep Dani and Barry friends, simply because I feel that their non-romantic relationship will be more interesting than a romantic one. However, this doesn't mean that Dani and Kaz won't have their share of complications in their relationship, particularly in The Power of Seven. Mighty Med's destruction will affect them and their relationship a lot, and I do plan on having another character make some advances on one of the two. But don't ask who this character is, or which character they will be making moves on, because I don't want to spoil anything. And I was planning on Dani having a few…separate adventures from the rest of the team. Dani's need for freedom is a very large part of her character, and it's not just freedom from her home that she's looking for. Between Bridget's over-controlling/protective nature, and Oliver's need to take responsibility for Dani and protect her (in an more emotional sense than his mother), Dani hasn't really ever taken full control of her life. Her need for freedom, combined with her naturally rebellious nature, will drive her to make some pretty big decisions in The Power of Seven, so you're not far off with your guesses/suggestions. And though I can't give too much away, Dani will have some adventures without the Elite Force team. Is it just me, or did that sound really cryptic? I feel like it did. I'd be less vague, but then I'd have to spoil some stuff that I think you'd rather be surprised by. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Kai is the best: Don't worry about it – everyone misses a review here or there. I'm glad you liked the chapter, and Rani's character. She's going to be interesting to write in future chapters/stories. As for Alivia, she hasn't always won her fights. She's had trouble in a number of fights, and often had help by other heroes and such. And the fights that she did win, she didn't win easily. When she beat Megahertz, a lot of that was luck and her being able to catch him off guard, since no one in the villain world knew she was protecting Kaz, Oliver, and Dani. And since it was her first fight of the series, I had to make sure she made an impression. And yes, I LOVE The Flash. It is one of my all-time favorite TV shows. I do remember Multiplex – he was actually the inspiration behind Alivia's powers – and while Alivia does not have a limit to the number of duplicates she can create, like him she will suffer from severe exhaustion if she creates too many for too long. This is why she usually keeps the number low, around 3 or 4, because she doesn't want to exhaust herself. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Algernon: I'm glad you're excited for it. Honestly, I am too – the Mr. Terror arc is such an incredible story line, and I've been waiting months to get into it. Things are going to be very interesting, especially when it comes to the whole Short family dynamic. Thank you very much for the compliment, though writing fight scenes just takes a lot of practice. Eventually, you get the hang of it. As for Barry, Kaz and the twins do have their own motives for refusing to memory wipe him, but to be perfectly honest, I just needed Barry to have memories of superheroes. Not only will it make the next few chapters even more chaotic, like you said, but it will also make any other appearances by him (as I do have another 2 stories in the works) very interesting. I'm glad you don't have to worry about your PSATs anyone, but I get it about finals. I, myself, just finished my first university exam today, and have two more next week. As for the hints, thank you. The other two hints are going to appear rather soon too, as there is a limited number of chapters remaining. In fact, you are going to be seeing another really soon, so be prepared. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Mr. Terror: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, Barry, Baby Tecton, and anything else you do not recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Oliver's POV**

"So, does Batman exist?" Barry questioned, walking backwards in front of us as we made our way to school. I nearly groaned; ever since he discovered that superheroes were real and we agreed to not wipe his memory if he promised not to tell anyone, the older boy had been full of questions, and had yet to leave us alone. Still, even though he was starting to get on my last nerve, it was a better option than the alternative. If Horace found out that a kid from school knew the truth, Kaz, Dani, and I would be in deep trouble, and it would be nearly impossible to wipe Barry's mind without getting caught. Not to mention, the memory eraser would delete every memory he had, and it would be pretty hard to explain to Barry's parents why their son had amnesia.

"Not sure, haven't met him yet." Kaz clarified.

"But according to Spark, Nightwing does, and supposedly, he's hot." Dani added. Kaz shot her a look and she smirked, sticking her tongue out at him. Then she frowned. "Huh, I thought they weren't going to start construction until next week."

I looked past Barry to see that there was a massive hole in the ground in front of the school, yellow tape surrounding it. Men in orange vests walked around the construction site. My sister walked ahead of me, grabbing Kaz's hand as she reached the group. "I guess they started early." Kaz shrugged.

"So does anyone know WHY they're doing all this construction?" Barry questioned as Gus walked over to us. "Gus, you know?"

"No idea, but check it out!" Gus grinned, bending down to retrieve a dirt-covered shoe box from the pile of dirt. "They dug up the time capsule I buried!"

"Cool." Dani commented. Gus chuckled, looking at the contents of the box. He pulled out a photograph.

"We looked so ridiculous back then." He sighed. I craned my neck to get a better look at the photo, but it appeared to be a fairly recent picture.

"When did you bury that thing?" Kaz questioned, also noting the age of the picture.

"Last week." Gus replied cheerfully. Yeah, not all that surprising.

Dani chuckled and went to walk towards the school, but I stopped her as she got too close to the edge of the hole. "Be careful." I warned her. "I read that one hundred percent of construction site accidents happen at construction sites." They all looked at me. "It was an obvious, but nonetheless important, article."

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. I reached for it, but the second it was out of my jeans, it slipped through my fingers and hit the ground near the hole. "Damn it." I muttered, bending down to grab it. Thankfully, the fall hadn't damaged the screen at all.

I went to turn back to my friends, when one of the construction workers dropped a heavy bag of cement on the back of the piece of plywood I was standing on, and it worked like a lever, my end going straight upwards. It knocked me off balance and into the hole.

"Ah!" I groaned in complaint as I hit the dirt floor, a sharp rock breaking my hall. I climbed back to my feet, grabbing the rock as I went, a little put off by my fall.

"Oliver, you okay?" Kaz demanded, offering me his hand while Dani held the yellow tape high enough for me to climb under. Kaz helped pull me out.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I assured them. "Luckily, this rock broke my fall." I winced, rubbing my side. "And possibly my pelvis."

Suddenly, my vision went all weird, lights flashing in my eyes for a moment before someone's grip on my arm brought me back to reality.

"Are you sure you're okay?" My sister demanded, steadying me. I nodded, pulling my arm away.

"Yeah, I just got a little dizzy." I assured her. She frowned, not buying it. "Dee, chill. I'm okay."

"If you're sure..." Kaz looked at me pointedly. "You look like you're in shock."

"I would be too if I had aged as badly as you have." Gus agreed, holding out the picture to compare it to me. "You've really let yourself go."

 **Dani's POV**

"He's adorable, Tecton." I glanced up at the blonde haired hero before turning back to the little, blue-eyed baby boy in my arms. The baby giggled pleasantly, reaching up to try and tug at my bangs.

"Yeah, yeah." The man sighed. He glanced at Clone Master. "Any tips on the whole 'Dad' thing?"

The duplicator chuckled. "Afraid not. Gem here was an easy one." He patted his daughter's shoulder as she bent over the chair to get a better look at little Benjamin. "But best of luck."

"Ugh, children." Ambrose, Mighty Med's personal comic book artist, grimaced at the sight. "What messy things."

"Well, I think they're adorable." Alivia retorted, smiling down at the baby. Ambrose rolled his eyes and turned to Tecton.

"Now, Tecton, I believe we need discuss your most recent 'adventures' in the superhero world." He told the hero. Tecton crossed his arms.

"What about them?" He questioned.

"Well, they're awfully…dull, aren't they?" Ambrose questioned. Tecton frowned, obviously disliking Ambrose's comment. "Readers are looking for variety, my good man, but yours are quite the opposite."

Just then, doors to the rec room swung open, Kaz walking in with a smile on his face.

"Ambrose, my man!" He greeted, walking up.

"I'm not a man, I'm a mutant. Which is why I can see in my mind's eye all the events in the superhero world as they occur, and draw comic books at lightning speed." The uptight comic book artist corrected him. "It's also why I chew gum like this."

He took a piece of gum out of his pocket, unwrapped it, then placed it in his mouth before beginning to chew. He paused mid-chew, and a pink bubble sprouted from his ear. Kaz just frowned and turned to Tecton. "Tecton, my man!" He exclaimed. "What's up?"

"Ambrose is complaining that the Tecton comic books have been boring lately." Tecton explained. He looked at Ambrose. "I can't help it if I always win so easily. That's not boring, that's consistent."

"Consistently boring." Ambrose corrected. Tecton rolled his eyes. "So sales are down, and who gets blamed? Me! I've been thrown out of my office and I'm forced to use Lizard Man's back as a desk."

"Legit?" Alivia looked surprised.

"Legit." Ambrose mimicked her tone. Kaz smirked.

"Sucker." He teased before leaning on the back of my chair. "Hey Baby Tecton. What's up with you, little man?" He held his fist close to the baby, who slapped it with his little hand, giggling at Kaz's smile.

"Hey Ollie." I looked up as my brother walked into the rec room. "Wanna play with Baby Tecton?"

"You know his name is Benjamin, right?" Tecton asked us, frowning.

"Baby Tecton is cuter." Alivia assured him.

"No thanks." Ollie told me, staying far, far away. I sighed.

"Coward." He really needed to get over his fear of babies. It was irrational, and honestly, just a little weird.

"At least I can swim." My brother muttered. I looked away, annoyed. "Anyway, you guys won't believe this dream I had last night."

"Yeah, is the same one where you and Skylar-" He cut me off mid-sentence.

"Not that one!" He told me. I smirked smugly and adjusted my position. "It was, like, a thousand years ago and I was onboard an alien spaceship that was carrying something called the Arcturion, an object so powerful that whoever gets their hands on it would become invincible."

"That is a cool dream." Alivia commented. Kaz nodded and looked up at Ambrose.

"Why don't you just that into a comic book?" He suggested.

"It does have all the necessary ingredients of a story." Ambrose said thoughtfully, considering it. "Except a hero, because it can't be Oliver. Look at him."

"Come on, man." Ollie just shook his head at the mutant.

"I'm not a man, I'm a-"

"They know." Clone Master patted his shoulder before walking out, shaking his head.

"What about Tecton?" I suggested. The blonde-haired hero looked up, surprised. "Make him the hero and just use the story from Ollie's dream in the next Tecton issue?"

"Yeah, and I could give you more details." Ollie agreed, pulling his journal out of his backpack. "I wrote it all down in my dream journal/feelings journal/Dani-and-Kaz-stop-reading-my-journal journal."

"Perfect." Ambrose smiled. "Oliver, I'll even give you a writing credit."

"That would be an honor." Ollie smiled brightly for a brief moment before his face fell. "But my mom would kill me if she found out I was writing comic books instead of studying."

"There's a whole chapter about that in his journal." Kaz mentioned to Tecton and Alivia.

"Just use a pseudonym." I suggested. Kaz frowned, so I elaborated. "Authors often use pen names when publishing books."

"Cool." Kaz nodded, thinking hard. "You could use…I know! Quimby Fletcher."

"Quimby Fletcher?" Alivia echoed, raising an eyebrow. Ollie grinned.

"I like it." He replied. Ambrose nodded.

"Quimby Fletcher it is." He decided. I glanced at Kaz, trailing my finger down his arm.

"How'd you come up with that?" I questioned.

"It's a combination of my favorite words." He explained. "'Blech', 'quit', 'fry', and 'me'."

"Clever." Alivia rolled her eyes. I smirked, agreeing with her.

 **Xxx**

"Wow." I commented as I pushed through the crowd in the Domain. In the past couple of months, the place had been sparse, the only thing keeping it running being Gus' dad's oversized wallet, but today, that wasn't the case; the entire shop was filled with teenagers, and even a few adults, all of them pouring over a large stand of comics. I ducked past a group of people, dodging my way through the crowd until I met up with Kaz, Ollie, Barry, and Alivia near the couch.

"There you are." Kaz chuckled. There was no room on the couch, so I sat down on Kaz's lap, not that he minded much. He just adjusted his legs, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"I have never seen so many people in here before." I commented, crossing my legs. Ollie smirked.

"And it's all because of me." He added proudly. Kaz looked up at him sharply.

"Um, aren't you forgetting someone?" He questioned.

"Yeah," Alivia nodded. "Don't forget about that creepy, super-aggressive mime that people ran in here to avoid."

I glanced out the window to see said mime bothering another couple of people. "I meant me." Kaz grumbled. I laughed lightly, placing my arm on his shoulder.

"Everything is crazy about this comic." Barry agreed. "Too bad this Arcturion isn't real."

"Yeah, and what would you want with it?" Alivia questioned. Barry smirked.

"I could become a superhero." He suggested. I groaned in frustration.

"Not you too." I jerked my thumb at Kaz. "He's been trying ever since he found out that he's going to work for the League of Heroes in the future."

"Wait? There's a League of Heroes now too?" Apparently, we hadn't told Barry that bit of information yet.

"Keep your voice down." Alivia hushed him. "But yes, there is."

"They all love my comic." Ollie ignored the two.

"No, they love Quimby Fletcher's comic." Kaz corrected. "A name that I created. And it was my idea to make your dream a comic book, and to make Tecton the hero. So I'm as much Quimby Fletcher as you are, which you would know if you would have bothered to read the entry that I wrote for you in your feelings journal."

I reached into my brother's bag, which was sitting against the base of the couch, and pulled out the deep blue notebook. I offered it to him. "Seriously, you should read it. He goes on about it for pages."

"Yeah, no thanks." Ollie rolled his eyes, snatching the journal back from me. "I gotta go. I've got homework to do."

"Nerd!" I called after him.

"Flunk-Out!" He called back. I laughed lightly, not particularly offended, then turned to Kaz, smiling.

"My brother's gone." I told him. He smirked and leaned in, his lips moving against mine hungrily.

"Do you guys just make out every time he leaves the room?" Alivia questioned after about a minute. I pulled away reluctantly, not missing how Kaz's hands dropped lower on my back.

"Pretty much." I replied. I frowned. "Where'd Barry go?"

"He left when you guys started in. And I'm outta here too." She laughed lightly before walking away. I shrugged and leaned in to kiss Kaz again, but unfortunately, we were interrupted.

"Excuse me, miss and mister?" An accented, similar to what I thought a Jersey accent sounded like, asked. Two men were standing above us. One of them was fairly short, with brown hair and a goatee, while the other guy was large and massive, at least a foot and a half taller than his buddy, and had dark colored skin. "My associate and I are movie producers from Hollywood."

"Wow, really?" Cool!

"Anyway, we're fascinated by this Arcturion story. We'd like to make a movie out of it."

Ollie passed us by on his way out, grabbing his backpack on the way out. "Well, I'm headed back to work where I will help save lives, and you will try to take credit for it. Right, Quimby Fletcher?"

He walked out, leaving the movie producers pleased. "You're Quimby Fletcher?" They questioned.

"That's what you heard, isn't it?" Kaz replied, grinning. I bit back a groan.

"Well, I'm staying out of this." I climbed off of Kaz's lap. He looked disappointed, but I figured this would end with an argument between the boys, and the less involved I was, the better. I kissed him on the cheek. "I will see you later."

I glanced over my shoulder as I left, smirking as I saw Kaz talking animatedly with the producers. Why did I have a feeling that this wasn't going to end well?

 **Kaz's POV**

"You guys are making a huge mistake." I said nervously. Those 'movie producers' had led me out of the store, then held me at freaking gunpoint and forced me into a car. The car drove around the city a couple of times before stopping at an office building. They pushed me into a chair and tied me up. "And I'm not talking about the fact that you rented way too much office space for just two people."

"You're the one who made a mistake by writing that comic book and telling the world about the Arcturion." The short one told me. "My boss won't stop until he gets his hands on it and becomes the most powerful man on Earth."

"Wait, th-the Arcturion is real?" But Oliver said it was just a dream! And I'd never heard of the Arcturion before, so how could it be real? "And you're henchmen for some villain?"

"I wish." The short guy said wistfully. "Right now, we're just lackeys, hoping to be promoted to goons. But if we bring our boss the Arcturion, we skip goon and go straight to henchmen."

"Well, if you let me go, I would be happy to write you a recommendation." I offered.

"Quiet!" He snapped. "We ain't foolin' around, kid. Are we Richie?"

To my shock, the taller guy raised his fist, which began to glow, and slammed it into the wall, creating a massive dent in it. Then the short guy hissed at me, a snake-like tongue slipping out from his mouth. "Now tell us where the Arcturion is, kid, or things are gonna get weird."

"That wasn't the weird part?!" I demanded, staring at him. I looked between the two lackeys, and gulped. "Please, I didn't even know that the Arcturion was real! And I can't tell you anything because the whole comic book was based on a dream!"

"Dream, huh?" The short guy looked at his partner. "That confirms it. The boss said the Arcturion spaceship had a device on it that transmitted all the information about the Arcturion into the dreams of whoever touched it."

Nice job, Oliver.

"Now we're gonna hook you up to our dream imager and get all the information we need directly from your brain. And then we're gonna eliminate you!" The short guy declared, sounding a little too eager on the last bit.

"I'm not even Quimby Fletcher!" I protested.

"Then who is?" The short guy demanded.

"I don't know." I lied. "But I don't have any information in my brain. Any of my teachers could tell you that!"

"We'll see soon enough." He motioned for his partner to go grab a device off of a counter.

"And if you see that I don't know anything, you'll let me go?" I asked hopefully.

"No." He looked at me like I was an idiot. "We just told you our whole plan; we still gotta eliminate you."

 **Dani's POV**

"Ollie?" I ducked into the rec room at Mighty Med, looking for my brother. I found him sitting on the couch, chatting with Tecton and Ambrose.

"The Arcturion comic is a big hit." Ambrose was saying. "In fact, it's selling so well that Horace got me a fancy new desk."

"How fancy?" I inquired, sitting down next to Ollie.

"Lizard Man is now wearing a tuxedo! And a hat!" Ambrose proclaimed.

"Cool." I grinned. Alivia walked into the room, looking around. "Hey Geminus."

"Hey, have you guys seen Kaz?" She questioned, frowning. "He's not answering his phone, and usually when one of you don't answer your phone, you've gotten yourselves into trouble. Again."

"That doesn't happen that often." I commented.

"Once a week. At least." She insisted. I rolled my eyes.

"And Kaz is fine. He's just…busy." I assured her. Ollie looked suspicious.

"Doing what?" He questioned. I sighed; I might as well tell him.

"So, these guys came into the Domain today, and they were movie producers, and when they heard you call Kaz 'Quimby Fletcher', they wanted to talk to him about making the comic into a movie." I explained. Ollie stared at me, furious. "And he's selling the rights right now."

"Ugh. I hope it's not the same guys that made 'Tecton Lives'." Tecton commented after making a disgusted noise. "They cast Jonah Hill as me. Jonah Hill!"

"That movie was horrible." I agreed.

"I can't believe him." Ollie shook his head, frustrated, before looking at Ambrose. "Ambrose, can you do me a favor and use your powers to draw where Kaz is so I can go stop him?"

Ambrose nodded and grabbed a piece of paper off of the table. He bent over it, and his eyes began to glow as his hands moved over the paper at light speed. When he was done, he handed us the sheet. "Uh, those don't look like Hollywood producers…" Ollie commented. I frowned, agreeing with him; the images made it look more like Kaz had been kidnapped or something.

"It looks like he was tricked by some kind of henchmen."

"Actually, they look more like lackeys to me, but you are right." Tecton commented.

"See? In trouble, again." Alivia sighed. She looked at the comic book artist. "Ambrose, can you tell us where this is?"

"Hold on." Tecton stopped him, pointing at a tiny window in the comic page. "Through that window – that's the National Bank building. I got in a huge fight near there last week, with Jenn. She's always like 'You have super-hearing, but you never listen.'"

"Wait, doesn't Mom's company have a building near there? It's being renovated, right?" I remembered my mother mentioning something like that the last time we spoke.

"It'd be the perfect place to take a hostage." Ollie agreed.

"Let's go." Alivia led the way out of the room.

 **Xxx**

When Tecton makes an entrance, he makes an entrance. Instead of going all the way around the hallway, trying to find the door to the room, the blonde haired hero simply charged through the wall, and kept going, taking the taller of the two lackeys with him. Alivia followed suit, tackling the shorter guy. Usually, she's split into two or three, but I guess with a guy his size, she felt it would be a waste of time. While the heroes fought the lackeys, Ollie and I ran to Kaz, who was sitting, unconscious, in an office chair, tied up and wearing a weird device on his head.

"What is this?" I questioned as I pulled the device off Kaz's head. It looked weird, like some kind of sci-fi brain scanner. Ollie didn't answer, instead pulling Kaz's chair out of the way as Alivia and the short dude's fight drew closer.

"Ah!" The lackey complained as Alivia roundhouse kicked him in the gut. Ollie and I winced sympathetically as he hit the ground. He recovered quickly, literally jumping to his feet. Dang, someone was agile.

"Okay, the gloves are off, sweetheart." He told Alivia, pulling off his gloves and tossing them to the ground. Okay, someone was clearly dramatic and cliché. But then he leapt onto the wall, gripping onto it like a lizard or a spider would.

"Seriously, man?" Alivia demanded, staring at him. He pushed off of it and practically flew to a wall coloumn, gripping it in the same way. He looked back at her, a forked tongue sticking out.. "Okay, that is just gross."

She tried to rush him, but he opened his mouth and shot a large blob of green goop at her. It caught onto her hand, sticking it against the barrier behind her. "Gross." I commented. Alivia pulled at it, but couldn't move.

"Tecton!" She called over her shoulder. "When you're done with the not-so-friendly giant over there, I could use a hand!"

"Kinda busy!" Tecton retorted from where he was grappling with the bigger of the two lackeys. But now that Alivia was unable to fight, the shorter guy drew his attention to Tecton, shooting a blast of that green goop at Tecton. He managed to avoid the first blast, but as he went to help Alivia, the short, lizard dude hit him with another, bigger blob. This blob encased the hero completely, until a giant, green, blobby statue stood in the middle of the room.

The bigger of the two lackeys grabbed the blob and, using all his strength, threw it out of the window, flying past buildings as it began its descent to the ground.

Alivia gulped nervously, watching the lackeys as she desperately tried to pull her arm away from the wall. The two lackeys advanced on her menacingly.

"Hey!" I shouted, trying to draw their attention away from her. But unfortunately, and I definitely should have seen this coming, it got their attention on us.

"Dani!" Ollie snapped. Kaz was still unconscious, and we were totally defenseless.

"Not my best idea, I admit." I laughed nervously, shrinking back against the wall as the short guy took a step towards us. Thankfully, Tecton must have been able to escape the blob, because he came flying in through the window at that moment.

The two lackeys took one look at him, then fled the room, racing through the hole Tecton had made in the wall. Tecton followed after them. "Kaz?" Ollie turned to the black haired boy, shaking him. Kaz's head shot straight up, wide awake.

"Man, why did you wake me up?" He complained after a moment. We all looked at him. "I had the face of an eagle, I was riding on an eagle, and I was the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.

We all exchanged looks. "I guess that's the same as 'thank you saving my life'." Alivia drawled.

"Oh, right." Kaz chuckled sheepishly. "Thanks guys."

"I'm just glad you're alright." I told him, before walking away to see if those lackeys left anything in the room.

"Yeah. I'm a little out of it," Kaz admitted, shrugging. "But I'm sure having my brain probed will have no long-lasting side-asnk jsd hbvl yybia."

Ollie, Alivia, and I stared at him, worried, but he just laughed. "I'm screwing with you guys."

"Jerk." Alivia commented, wincing as she once again tried to pull her arm out. "Okay, Tecton got out of this, why can't I?"

"Because Tecton has super-strength?" Ollie suggested.

"Hey cool." I grinned, grabbing a pair of gloves off the ground. They were the same ones the short guy had dropped. They were actually pretty nice, too – they were black leather gloves, similar to those that motorcyclists wore, with a cool circular design in the back with a large letter T in it. "T, huh…Wonder what that's for…"

"You're not keeping those." Ollie told me. I scoffed.

"Sure I am. Souvenir." I grinned, pocketing them. Alivia groaned.

"Will someone please get me out of here?" She demanded, starting to get frustrated.

"Let's go find Tecton." Kaz sighed, gesturing at the hole in the wall. One by one, he, Ollie, and I filed out.

"Wait, don't leave me alone in here!" Alivia called after us, sounding both desperate and annoyed.

 **Xxx**

"You think this is going to leave a stain?" Alivia frowned, looking at the light green mark on her superhero gloves. We were back at Mighty Med, relaxing after the excitement of today. Unfortunately, Tecton had not been able to capture the two lackeys, but at least we were all safe.

"Doesn't matter. They're both light green – you can barely tell the difference between the shades." Kaz assured her.

"I can't believe the Arcturion actually exists." I commented, leaning my crossed arms on the counter.

"I thought I'd finally had a creative dream." Ollie sighed, disappointed. "Usually, we're just sitting here like this."

"That's lame." Alivia commented. Ollie nodded in agreement.

"We need to find this Arcturion." I commented. "Before those two lackeys do, and whoever they're working for."

"Or before they find us." Ollie added.

"You don't have to worry about that." Alivia assured us. "I'm going to keep an extra eye on you guys, and Jaime says she'll help too."

"So you guys are going to be following us everything? Even to the washrooms?" Kaz questioned, smirking.

"No way. I ain't following you guys into those pig sties." The red-head retorted. "And besides, they don't even know who Quimby Fletcher is. There's nothing to be scared of."

 **Mr. Terror's POV**

"You're scared, aren't you? Well, you should be!" I shouted, furious. I'd given them one mission, one job. Find Quimby Fletcher and interrogate him, but no! Those idiots I hired – Mort and Richie – couldn't be bothered to do a decent job!

"Mr. Terror, sir, we're sorry." Mort apologized fruitlessly. "We barely got away from Tecton and Geminus, and this Quimby Fletcher's really hard to track down!"

"I want the Arcturion found!" I shouted. My entire plan needed it for success. "And bring me Quimby Fletcher; he knows too much."

"Not as much as you." Mort laughed nervously. I rolled my eyes behind the dark hood that concealed my identity – he'd been a suck up since the day I hired him. "You're a genius, a-and handsome. I assume. Well, no one's ever seen you, but you sound handsome!"

"Quiet!" I snapped. "I'll give you one more chance. But if you fail…"

I trailed off, letting them wonder how horrible a punishment I would inflict. I didn't want to kill them, not quite yet. Not because I wasn't prepared to kill, but because it was hard to find lackeys that would accept so little pay, and the two were easy to threaten.

"Yes sir." Mort nodded quickly and bolted from the rom, Richie following him. I sighed.

"This is what I get for sending lackeys to do a henchmen's job." I muttered, shaking my head.

 **Kihonne: Alright, what did you guys think? Good, bad? Somewhere in between? I want to know what you guys thought! Anyway, here's the schedule for the next few updates:**

 **December 12** **th** **: Mistaken Identity**

 **December 18** **th** **: Thanks for the Memory Drives**

 **December 23** **rd** **: The Dirt on Kaz and Skylar**

 **December 30** **th** **: The Mother of All Villains**

 **December 31** **st** **: Childhood's End**

 **Mistake Identity will be posted really soon, tomorrow night at the latest, but possibly tonight. It's mostly done already – I'm just working out a few kinks that have been bothering me. Anyway, since it's supposed to be replacing the Lab Rats VS Mighty Med crossover, I have something very special planned. I think you guys are really going to like the surprise I have in store for you. Anyway, I will see you all in a few!**


	31. Canaries in a Cage

**Kihonne: Hey guys, I'm back. So, I'm late with another chapter. Here's the deal – I had the chapter ready and planned out for months, then I kept re-writing the entire thing because it just didn't feel right to me. When it comes to original chapter, I'm usually a bit of a perfectionist, but with this chapter, I felt like it was even more important that I get it right. It's the first original chapter for the chapter, it's the replacement for the crossover, and I've been planning it for months, so I needed it be just right. And not to mention, I'm in the middle of exams (I've got one left, but it's Sign Language, so I'm not worried about studying) and because one of my jobs is seasonal work, I've pretty much been working every day for the past month. As you can probably tell, things have been more than a little hectic around here, so I really appreciate how patient you've all been with me when it's come to late updates. Seriously, it takes a lot of weight off my shoulders, knowing that I've got such understanding readers.**

 **Anyway, I finally bring you the original chapter I promised all of you. I changed the title, as you may have noticed. This one works better considering the changes I made, though. Anyway, here's Canaries in a Cage. But first, it's shoutout time.**

 **Xxx**

 **LabGirl2001: I'm glad you liked it, and the little hint I had with the officer. I'm glad you're excited; I'm excited. Trust me, I think you will certainly enjoy specific parts of it. Now to clarify, I will be leaving the Lab Rats VS Mighty Med as it is, and I will be including an explanation for Dani and Alivia's whereabouts in this chapter. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **FangirlIsh13: I'm glad you liked it! And yes, the Mr. Terror arc has officially begun! Trust me, you are going to love what I have in store, particularly this chapter. And yes, it will be sad when it's over, but like the saying goes 'every ending is another beginning' and I will be beginning the Power of Seven about a week and a half after the final chapter of The Days of Our Lives is posted. We will get to see Chase, Bree, and Calla really soon (sooner than expected, in some cases), though I'm afraid that the wedding will happen a little later in the season. It's likely going to happen after the Attack, but before the official start to my season 2, so you might have to wait a bit, but there will be plenty of Challa love for you to enjoy until then. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Kai is the best: Sorry about the wait. I'm glad you're excited. As for Richie, yes he was killed in the original, but I needed him alive for one more chapter, so I changed things a bit. As for the villain, you're just going to have to find out. I like Mort too, though. He's an interesting character, so I'm probably gonna bring him back at some point. As for why you only see your comments after a couple of days, it has nothing to do with the time zone you are in. Most authors, like me, have the option of setting a filter on their stories so that we may moderate the anonymous reviews coming. I have the filter set, so after you review, I have 24 hours to reject it, or the review will go through onto the site. Not that I reject many reviews – the only ones I've had to reject for this story were some homophobic reviews that came in not long after I wrote in Alivia and Jaime's relationship. So that's why you don't see your reviews until a couple of days after you send them. But don't worry – I do receive them on time, I believe. I got this review at 1:06 PM. EST. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **GU3ST: Thanks.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Dani: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns all of the OCs that appear in this chapter, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Dani's POV**

"How are you not tired?" Alivia muttered, rubbing her eyes. I glanced at the clock on the car's dashboard, smirking at the 6:04 A.M. that shone back at us. "Seriously, any sane person would be exhausted right now, and what happened to jet lag?"

"Doesn't affect me, I guess." I replied, shrugging me. She did have a point – you'd think that I'd be tired seeing as I had to wake up at around 2 to catch a flight back to Philadelphia – but I was wide awake. Maybe it was left over adrenaline from the soccer tournament we just _dominated,_ or maybe it was excitement for this weekend, but I could barely sit still, let alone feel tired. Alivia, on the other hand, was exhausted and had slept most of the plane ride, despite the fact that she and the rest of the school's cheerleaders barely did anything on the week-long sports trip. "C'mon Liv, aren't you excited?"

"A little." The Irish girl admitted, biting back a yawn. Clone Master glanced at us through the rearview mirror as he pulled into my driveway.

"When are you guys going to be back from your little trip?" He asked, parking the car.

"Sunday night." Alivia replied.

"Thanks for picking us up from the airport." I told him, climbing out of the backseat of his car. Alivia was way ahead of me, already grabbing our bags out of the trunk.

"You're welcome, Dani." The hero smiled at me. "Have fun you too."

"Bye Dad!" Alivia called, handing me my overnight bag. We watched him leave, then headed into the house. Kaz, Ollie, Skylar, and Jaime were already up, in the living room. Jaime and Skylar were in opposite armchairs, debating which villains were more challenging than others, while Kaz and Ollie were totally focused on the new Tecton movie that was playing on TV.

"Who missed me?" I exclaimed, grinning as I walked into the house.

"Shoes, Dee." Ollie commented as I walked up to couch. I raised an eyebrow, and pulled my legs up and placing my feet on the couch. Mom was gone on a business trip, so I wasn't about to follow all the ridiculous rules she had. And besides, it wasn't like my shoes were dirty.

"Hey." I smiled as Kaz wrapped his arm around me. I raised my head and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you." He grinned back at me.

"Oh, yeah. Happy 17th, man." Alivia mentioned before kissing her own girlfriend. "Hey babe."

"Hey baby." Jaime replied, kissing her back. She looked disappointed when Alivia finally pulled away, but the blonde haired superhero just looked at us. "So, we going soon?"

"Now, actually." Ollie announced, getting off the couch. He grabbed his overnight bag from behind the couch.

"I can't believe you guys convinced Horace to let us borrow the wormhole transporter just to go to Comic Con." Skylar commented.

"It's not just any Comic Con, Skylar. It's the San Diego Comic Con" I insisted.

"What's the difference?" Jaime frowned, confused. I shook my head at them.

"Superheroes." They knew nothing.

"Actually, we're just lucky that he had a spare wormhole transporter." Kaz commented, fetching his bag from the stairs. I frowned.

"What happened to the first one?" I inquired. They all exchanged looks. "Guys?"

"So, you remember how we started talking about how one way I could get powers would be bionic abilities?" Kaz mentioned, smiling guiltily. I nodded.

"Yeah, there was a place in California that you wanted to check…" Then, I got what they weren't saying. "You guys went without me?!"

"Sorry Dee, just couldn't wait." Kaz apologized, trying to put his arm around me. I pushed him away, peeved.

"We were supposed to go together!" I exclaimed.

"Sorry." Ollie apologized. I glared at them for a second, then looked at Kaz.

"Did you at least get superpowers?" I questioned. He sighed and shook his head.

"No." He admitted. "But we did fight the Incapacitator, and Oliver almost got a date."

"Actually, Leo mentioned that she was just trying to make her boyfriend jealous." Oliver explained when he saw my confused look.

"And she thought that would work?" Alivia questioned as she took Jaime's spare hand.

"Yeah, surprised us too." Skylar agreed. She pulled the wormhole transporter out from her bag. "Shall we?"

"We shall." I agreed as we all grabbed ahold of one another. When Ollie placed his hand on Skylar's arm, she hit the button, and a wormhole formed around our group, transporting us to the lobby of a hotel in San Diego. "Let's check in."

 **Oliver's POV**

"Wow." I breathed, staring at the convention center in front of us. I'd been to Comic Cons before, since I was eight, in fact, but I'd never seen one so incredibly massive. Everywhere you looked, you could see people, both in cosplay costumes and in regular clothes, browsing through booths and checking out the displays. I could see a group of Stormtroopers to my left, 'arresting' members of the 'rebellion'.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Dani commented, pulling on her gloves. She was wearing a black uniform, with a long, blonde wig, cosplaying as Black Canary. I sent her a smile, which faded when I got a good look at those gloves

"Wait, I thought I told you to leave those where you found them." I said sternly, recognizing then as the ones she swiped from the lackey that kidnapped Kaz a few weeks ago.

"Well, they stole my boyfriend, so I'm stealing their gloves." Dani reasoned, smirking at me playfully. "Besides, they complete my outfit." I sighed and shook my head. "By the way, nice shield. Where'd you get it?"

"Oh, Gus hooked me up." I replied, looking down at my Captain America shield. I'd been planning my costume for months, and had spent my entire last paycheck on this shield, but it was so worth it. Meanwhile, Kaz was dressed in a skintight, orange, Tecton costume, while Alivia, Skylar, and Jaime had all gone as – surprise, surprise – Geminus, Skylar Storm, and Spark.

"Okay, so I want to check out the Kessel Run." Alivia mentioned, looking over the schedule. "And I want to see the Clone Master Q&A. Apparently, they've got Molly Quinn playing me in movie, and I want to see what she knows about my character."

"Oh, that'll be interesting." Kaz chuckled.

"Try not to go overboard when she doesn't know every single detail of your life." Jaime suggested gently.

"Like you did with the last Spark movie?" Skylar teased.

"Okay, that girl was an idiot, I'll have you know." Jaime defended herself.

"Alright, let's just go, okay?" Kaz grabbed Dani's hand and began to lead her through the crowd, trying to make it to one of the booths. I laughed as we all went, almost losing the rest of the group. Today was going to be awesome.

 **Dani's POV**

"I love this." I smiled, examining the giant Rocket Racoon plushy Kaz bought me from one of the booths. Between the Q&As and the sneak peeks, we all managed to get ourselves a few souvenirs from the booths. Between the six of us, we bought several 1st edition comics, a Skylar Storm poster (but if she asks, it's a Solar Flare poster – Ollie thought she'd find it a bit creepy), a toy Atomic Yo-Yo, a Tecton phone case, a replica of the Calderan solar system (according to Skylar, it was fairly accurate), POP! Dolls of Spark, Skylar Storm, and Geminus, a Spotlight stuffed doll (not sure why, but Alivia insisted that she and Jaime could use it to mess with him) and what I'm 95% sure was a zombie Smurf figurine (Mom was going to freak when I put that up in my room).

"Okay, the Kessel Run, then dinner, alright? It's been hours." Alivia insisted.

"Fine, but I want to see the Magic championship, okay? I think the semi-final game starts in a few minutes." Jaime insisted. We all exchanged looks; who knew that Jaime was a fan of Magic?

"I never understood that game." I started saying to Skylar as we made our way through the crowds. As we struggled to get through a particularly large crowd. Then, I suddenly felt Kaz's hand tug on mine as he stopped, his head craning as he tried to look over the crowd. "Kaz?"

"Hey, was that…?" He trailed off, frowning.

"Was that what?" Ollie questioned. Kaz glanced his way, then looked back at the crowd. He scanned it for a moment, then a slow grin formed on his face.

"Hey, Super Sassy!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "Bionic Arm!"

The crowd parted as two people, a dark skinned boy in a Winter Solider costume and a blonde haired girl in a costume identical to mine, stopped. They looked at us, then started over to us.

"Who're they?" Alivia questioned. I shook my head, confused, but Ollie and Skylar both smiling knowingly.

"Kaz? What are you doing here?" The girl asked, smiling. To my surprise, she gave my boyfriend a hug.

"I think the answer's obvious. Comic Con?" Her friend commented. Ollie nodded.

"You dyed your hair." He noted. "Cool."

"It's only temporary. For the costume." She replied, running her hand through her long locks. She hard darker eyebrows, I noted, so she must originally have either brown or black hair.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met." The dark-skinned boy told me, smiling.

"Dani Short." I introduced myself, looking at them suspiciously. Who were these people?

"I'm Liv, and this Jaime." Alivia added, frowning. "And you are?"

"This is my Leo Dooley," The girl jerked her thumb at her friend, "and I'm Calla, Calla Parker."

 **xxx**

"So, you guys work at the Bionic Academy?" Since Kaz and Ollie wanted to catch up with Calla and Leo (despite the fact that they'd only met a week ago), most of us had decided to skip the Magic tournament and head for the cafeteria. Jaime and Skylar had opted to stay and watch – since Caldera didn't have card tournaments like that, Skylar was curious and wanted to see one in action – so Alivia, Kaz, Calla, Leo, Ollie, and I had all grabbed a booth near the Pizza Pizza.

"Well, no. I work at the Bionic Academy. He's just a student." Calla corrected, taking a bite from her pepperoni pizza.

"For now." Leo added, looking at her pointedly. Calla rolled her eyes, a little smirk on her face. I glanced at her hair.

"What are the odds that we'd both cosplay as Black Canary?" I questioned, nibbling on my vegetarian pizza. Calla laughed lightly.

"She's a badass." She replied, brushing her hair out of her face. "Nice wig, by the way."

"Thanks. My friend Jordan knows a guy." I replied. "How'd you get your hair to go so blonde? If it's temporary, I assume you didn't bleach it?"

"My boss owns a high tech lab, and I have a friend in the R&D department that cosplays a bit, so I called her up and she helped me fix this stuff up." She replied. "It's not the most effective stuff, and it'll wash out almost the second it gets wet, but hey, I believe that if you're going to play a part, you should commit."

"I agree." I nodded. "Unfortunately for me, my hair's too short to use anything but a wig for this."

"So, where are the others? Chase, Bree, and Adam?" Ollie inquired. Calla and Leo exchanged looks, smirking.

"Well, Chase…" Calla laughed lightly. "He was fighting with another one of the Mr. Davenport's scientists, Dr. Ryan, so now he's forcing the two of them to work together on some project. Idiots."

"And since Big D gave us all the weekend off, except them, Bree and Jaden took the private jet to Paris." Leo continued. "And Adam is still trying to teach Bob how to burp the ABCs."

"Oh, how's he doing on that?" Kaz grinned.

"Well, Bob keeps forgetting what letter comes after Q, so not so well." Calla replied, shaking her head. "So, is this your first International Comic Com?"

"Yeah, you?" Alivia inquired, grabbing a chip from the ever-shrinking pile.

"My second, her third." Leo replied.

"So, you guys here for the whole weekend?" Kaz questioned.

"Yeah, pretty much…crap." Calla glanced at her phone. "Uh, Leo, we've got to go if we're going to make the Supernatural panel."

"Remind me why I'm letting you drag me to that thing?" Leo sighed as Calla got up.

"Because I let you drag me to that Furries thingy." She replied. She smiled at us. "Alivia, Dani, it was nice to meet you guys, and good to see you, Kaz and Oliver. We should try and catch up later."

"Definitely." "Totally." "Sure." We all agreed. Our new friends took off, heading down to one of the panel theatres. I looked at Kaz, Ollie, and Liv.

"So, should we go grab Jaime and Skylar, or do you guys want to see who's playing Tecton in the new Tecton movie? Because I'm curious."

 **Mort's POV**

"Now, the boss told us no more screw ups. So, we need to find this Quimby Fletcher and fast." I told Richie as I paced across the cement in front of the van we'd borrowed from Mr. Terror's fleet. As usual, my partner didn't respond verbally. I didn't know if he even could – we'd been working together for about 5 months, and he'd never spoken a word in front of me. Still, he nodded, so I continued. "Now, that kid we grabbed last week wasn't Quimby Fletcher, but I still think he's connected to him. So, if we question his friends, we should find out something."

He frowned and cocked his head, so I gestured at the computer. "You remember how Mr. Terror put trackers in those gloves that he gave us for Christmas, so he could know where we are at all times? That girl who came to save the kid took them, and I managed to track her to this location." I nodded at the large convention center in front of us. "We go in, get the girl with the gloves, and we'll get our answers about Quimby Fletcher."

I looked through the van's open door at the laptop sitting on a crate on its floor. The laptop was streaming live footage of the kid we'd grabbed a couple of weeks, as he sat eating with a group of his friends. The problem was, there were three girls sitting with him, as well as two boys. "It can't be the redhead – I'm fairly certain that she's Geminus in civilian clothes, probably assigned to protect him after we grabbed 'im."

I looked closely at the other two. Neither girl looked particularly like the girl I'd seen last week – she'd had short, auburn hair, and both of these had identical, long, blonde hair. I was about to suggest trying to figure out which one was which, but then one of the blonde girls stood up, along with one of the boys, and left. "Richie, you get the one that's with the kid, I'll get the one who left. We'll just question them both."

 **Dani's POV**

"We should go find Jaime and Skylar." Alivia suggested as we made our way through the crowd.

"Yeah, then we can go to the Tecton panel." Kaz agreed.

"Why don't I meet you guys there?" I suggested, letting go of his hand. "I need to use the bathroom."

"Okay." Ollie nodded. "Don't forget, it's being held in room-"

"D, I know." I assured him. "I'm not an idiot, Ollie."

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes. I did the same to mock him, then headed off in the direction of the bathrooms.

The bathroom was empty as I walked in, and when I finished my business, it was still quiet. It seemed a bit unusual, since the number of the people in the building had to be at least close to a thousand, if not over. It was only when I began washing my hands in the sink did the door open.

I glanced up as the footsteps approached, then took a second glance when I realized the person was a guy. The man was very tall, with dark skin. He looked vaguely familiar, I thought, but I probably just passed him today in the hall. "Uh, wrong bathroom, man."

He grunted and didn't leave, instead slowly approaching me. Okay, this was creepy. Like, I-need-to-get-out-of-here-now creepy. I backed away slowly, but that only seemed to annoy him. Then he raised his fists, both of them glowing, and I realized where I knew him from; he was one of the guys who kidnapped Kaz a couple of weeks ago. "Oh, crap." I muttered. Where was Alivia when you needed her? "I'm just gonna go…"

I tried to make a run for it, ducking as I bolted towards the door. Unfortunately, he was clearly expecting me to do this – and I admit, it was the most original plan – and swung his fist out, catching me in the rib cage. Thanks to his super strength, not only did that really hurt, but it sent me flying through the air. I hit something really hard, the wall I think, and slid to the floor, my head pulsing as my vision blurred and spun. I lay there for a second as he approached me. I tried to sit up, to run or fight I don't know, but the moment I tried to move, my vision dipped, and I lost track of things.

 **Xxx**

"Ugh." I complained, sitting up and rubbing my head. It ached badly, but at least the room wasn't spinning anymore. Though, I realized I must have been out a while, because I was no longer in the washroom. I was sitting on the floor of a cage – who uses cages these days anyways? – in what appeared to be a dark basement.

"You okay?" I glanced up to see Calla standing above me, arms crossed as she slowly paced the cage.

"Yeah. You?" I questioned.

"I'll live." She brushed some hair out of her face, revealing a nasty looking bruise underneath.

"What happened?" I questioned, standing up slowly, one hand reaching for one of the bars.

"Don't." Calla tried to warn me, but I had touched the bar before she could.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, leaping back as I received a nasty shock, literally. "It's electrified?"

"Yep." She rubbed her own hand, where she must have grabbed it. She glanced at me. "So, Lizard-Guy grab you too?"

"Lizard-Guy?" I repeated.

"He had a freaking lizard tongue. I don't know what else to call him." She rolled her eyes. "And he spit this really weird goo. I couldn't move."

"No, his partner was the one to grab me. Think his name is Richie or something." At least, that's what the Mighty Max database had said. Both he and his partner, Mort, were re-offenders, and surprise, surprise, Richie's first arrest had been on charges on kidnapping. Not that much of a shocker, really.

"Were they supervillains?" Calla looked at me questioningly, stopping. I raised an eyebrow, surprised that she got to that conclusion so fast. "I know for a fact no bionic people have tongues like that."

"Technically, they're goons, but yeah, they have superpowers." I replied. She nodded thoughtfully, a frown on her face. "Sorry, but I think they're here for me, not you."

"It happens." Calla shrugged.

"Kidnapping?" I asked, not sure what she meant. To my surprise, she nodded.

"You won't believe the number of times I've been kidnapped." She told me, beginning to pace again. "I mean, between Chase's crazy fangirls, people who think they can get info on Davenport Industries from me, and the rest of the bionic megalomaniacs I've had to deal with, it's ridiculous."

"You've actually been kidnapped by you boyfriend's fangirls?" I almost laughed in disbelief. Calla smirked slightly.

"Not yet." She admitted. "But it's bound to happen. They're nuts. Leo and I got a bet going on how long it will take."

"I want in on that." I commented, smirking back. She laughed lightly.

"Sure." She agreed as a door at the other end of the room opened up. Mort walked in, followed by Richie. "Hey! Who the hell do you think you are, attacking us like that?"

"You don't need to know that, darlin'." Mort assured her. Calla crossed her arms, glaring at them dangerously. "I just need you to answer a couple of questions for us."

"Like what?" I demanded, tapping my foot. Calla didn't seem to be afraid of them, that was clear, but I was freaked. Mort and Richie were no joke – they almost beat Tecton and Alivia – and I knew what they wanted. They wanted Quimby Fletcher, or rather, Ollie. But I couldn't give him up, and Calla didn't know anything, so the chances of this ending well for us were very low. Especially since, depending on how long we'd been down here, the others might still be in the panel and maybe hadn't realized I was missing yet.

"First, names. Our boss is going to want to know who's friends with Quimby Fletcher." Mort told us.

"Quimby Fletcher?" Calla frowned. She glanced at me, and I shook my head quickly. She turned back to Mort. "We have no idea who that is."

"Names." He ordered. She paused.

"Alexandria Davenport." She lied. Mort turned to me, and I panicked. Calla was smart to give them a fake name, and my connection to Ollie made it even more important that they not know who I was, but I was terrible with coming up with fake names. So, I said the first name that popped into my head, blurting it out without thinking of the consequences.

"Calla Parker."

To her credit, the real Calla didn't react in the slightest. Mort nodded, then raised his chin.

"Alright, here's the deal, Miss Davenport and Miss Parker. I know one of you is friends with Mr. Fletcher, and all you have to do is tell me where to find him. Hell, tell me anything about him, and me and my associate will let you ladies go, alright?"

"I told you, we don't know what you're talking about." Calla insisted. "Now, you're going to let us go. I've got powerful friends, and they won't be happy when they find out I'm missing. And trust me, you don't want to get on their bad sides."

"We'll take the chance, sweetheart." Mort rolled his eyes. He looked at me. "What about you, angel? You got anything you want to tell us?"

"No." I gulped nervously.

"You have an hour to come to your senses." He told us.

"Or what?" I challenged.

"Or we'll bring you to our boss, Mr. Terror. And he's not someone you want to meet face to face." He threatened. He jerked his head at Richie, and the two walked out, the door clanging shut behind them. The moment it did, Calla turned to me.

"Calla Parker?" She repeated incredulously.

"Sorry. I panicked." I apologized.

"Clearly." She rolled her eyes. "Okay, who is Quimby Fletcher?"

"I don't know." I lied. She approached me, getting close.

"No. You dragged me into this, you don't lie to me." She told me, annoyed.

"I can't." I shook my head, looking at her desperately. For all we knew, there were cameras on us right now. "I'm sorry."

Calla hesitated. "We'll talk later then." She decided, her tone softening a bit. "Right now, let's focus on getting out of here."

"How?" I questioned, looking around. "If the electric cage wasn't enough, it's locked, and then we have to get past those two.

"And then we have to figure out how to get back to the convention, because this doesn't look much like a panel room." Calla added. "I only woke up a few minutes before you, and God knows how long we were out for."

"Twenty-seven minutes." I commented. She looked at me.

"What?" She questioned. I held out my watch.

"I think I broke it when I was attacked. It's stuck at 6:34." I nodded at the analog clock on the wall. "That says 7:01. Logically, we've been here for twenty-seven minutes."

"Oh." She looked surprised. "You wear a watch?"

"You can't always rely on high-tech stuff like cell phones." Good thing too. I could see my cell phone on a small table by the door.

"Okay," She nodded thoughtfully. "I figure you've been up for five minutes, then, and me for maybe seven, possibly eight, only leaving a twenty minute window between Richie attacking you and us ending up in this cage. It's unlikely they moved us far."

"You think we're below the convention center?" I guessed, following her logic. She nodded.

"It makes the most sense." She decided. She glanced at me. "You think you're superhero buddies are coming?"

"Not sure. The panel we were supposed to go see isn't done yet – they may not have realized anything's wrong yet." I replied.

"It's been almost a half an hour. They won't be worried?" She frowned.

"I kinda get distracted by comic book merchandise. They probably think I'm looking at some booth or something." I replied. "What about Leo?"

"Well, he sorta ditched me on our way to the Supernatural panel, so he's probably hiding from me, actually. Doubt he'll realized I'm gone until it ends…in half an hour." She replied. "We just need to figure our way out of this."

"How?" I questioned. She smirked. "Oh, come on, you're not that smart."

"For your information, I have an IQ of 158." She sounded like that was supposed to mean something, but I just looked at her. "Stephen Hawking has a 160."

"Dang, girl. I thought Chase Davenport was supposed to be the smartest person on the planet." I commented. She smirked.

"His score is at least 80 points higher, which he likes to brag about. A lot." She rolled her eyes. "But the point is, I'm that smart, especially when we need to be. All we need is a plan."

"Let's hear it." I replied. She paused, not saying anything. "You don't got one, do you?"

"I'm working on it." She insisted, glaring at me.

"Well, first thing we need to do is unlock the cage." I commented. "Oh wait, we can't. It'll kill us."

"Possibly." She agreed. "One shock hurts, but isn't that bad. But in order to unlock the door, we'd need our hands on it for at least a minute, if not longer, and that might electrocute us to death."

"We can't do anything with that in play. See, this is why you can't rely on tech to always help you out." I frowned, realizing that she was staring at me. "What?"

"Empty your pockets." She ordered, her lips twitching upwards in excitement. I laughed, staring at her.

"What? You gonna MacGyver this?" I questioned. She raised an eyebrow. "I may have had a thing for Lucas Till since X-Men First Class."

"Really? I prefer the original show rather than the reboot, but yeah. I'm gonna MacGyver this." She told me. "Pockets, empty. Now."

We both pulled out the contents of our pockets. They weren't much – on Calla's side, there was a disposable camera, and a pack of chewing gum, while I had a pen, some money, and a couple of hair pins that I'd brought in case the wig kept getting in my face. "Perfect." She smiled brightly. I stared at her.

"You can seriously get us out of here using all of this?" I questioned, suspicious. She shook her head.

"Of course not. Put the cash away – why would I need that?" She demanded before grabbing the pen from me.

"You're crazy." I muttered. She smiled, a real I-take-that-as-a-compliment smile.

"The best ones always are." She replied before using the pen to jimmy open her disposable camera.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Kaz, she's probably just off at that ninja star booth." Skylar reasoned.

"She did have an unusual interest in those weapons." Jaime agreed.

I ignored them booth, looking over the crowd, hoping to see her. Dani was supposed to meet us at the panel ages ago, but she had never come back from the bathroom, and she wasn't picking up her phone. "I don't know, guys. She always answers her phone. Heck, I've seen her answer a telemarketer's call in the middle of class."

"Seriously?" Jaime looked surprised. Alivia nodded.

"And then she started messing with him by pretending that she was also a telemarketer. The teacher was too surprised to even be mad." She laughed lightly.

"Kaz is right, something wrong." Oliver agreed.

"How do you know?" Skylar frowned, not disagreeing with him.

"Intuition." He replied with a shrug.

"Don't you mean, in-twin-ition?" I joked. He glared at me, even though I thought it was a reasonable name. Oliver and Dani were usually in pretty good sync with each other. I hadn't been kidding all those times I joked about them having twin telepathy. Heck, the first time Oliver and I had met, we'd just been playing on the beach when he suddenly started worrying about where his sister was. At the same time, some idiot had accidently knocked off the pier and into the ocean. At the time, it had been freaky how he just knew she was in trouble, but after a while, I'd gotten used to stuff like that.

Suddenly, Oliver's cell phone rang. He picked it up on the first ring. "Dani?"

Although I couldn't hear the speaker, I knew by the way his face fell that it wasn't our Dani. "Hey, listen, now's not a good time…" He paused, frowning as he listened to the speaker. "No, we haven't seen her since you guys left…what do you mean she's missing?"

"What's going on?" Skylar asked, placing her hand on Oliver's arm to get his attention. He pulled the phone away from his face.

"Leo says Calla disappeared. He just found her phone near the bathrooms." He told us, solemnly. I frowned, starting to really wonder what happened to Dani. Both girls, wearing identical costumes, disappearing near the same place? No way was that a coincidence.

 **Dani's POV**

"So, what are you doing?" I asked, frowning as Calla spit out a piece of gum she'd been chewing. She didn't answer, instead using the gum to stick a wire to a circuit board, both of which she'd pulled out of her now ruined disposable camera. "Calla."

"Mini EMP." She replied. "You made a good point about the electricity being a problem, so I figured, why not just shut it down?"

"EMPs shut down all tech in the area." I remembered Ollie going on about them once.

"Anything electrical, actually. Including this cage." Calla smiled, not looking up as she continued to fiddle with the wires. "That solves the electricity problem. Now we just have to figure out how to get out of the cage."

"Leave it to me." I told her, turning the hair pins over in my hands.

"You know how to pick a lock?" She questioned. I smirked.

"My mom has the tendency of grounding me whenever she thinks I'm out of control." I explained. "I've snuck out of my room more times than I can count, but I'm just a little too short to be able to climb back in through my window. I'll usually climb in through Ollie's, since he's got a tree right outside of his, but occasionally I've had to go through the front door."

"Okay, good. Because the EMP will only last a couple of minutes." She informed me. "Once it starts working again, you'll get the full force of the zap if you're still touching the lock or those pins."

"Two minutes? Easy." Well, not quite, but it was pretty much our only chance.

"On three." Calla told me. I grabbed the pins and got as close to the lock as I dared. "One, two…three!"

The moment she pressed the last wire into place, I took a deep breath and shoved the pins into the lock. I let out the breath when I wasn't immediately electrocuted. I began fiddling with the pins, trying to get the right one into the right hole. It wasn't as easy as it looked on TV, but it was doable.

"Fourteen seconds." Calla muttered in warning. Not that it was necessary.

"Ha!" I laughed in delight as the locked clicked. I pushed the door open with my foot, smirking as our escape became possible.

"Nice." Calla grinned as I leapt down from the cage and onto the cement floor. She stepped down after me. "Seriously, good work."

"Thanks. Nice job with the EMP." I added. She smirked in response, and headed for the door. But before she could open it, Richie walked inside. Calla backed up as he came storming in, the shorter girl staring up at him.

"…hi." She gulped nervously.

He didn't answer, instead swinging his already glowing fists. Calla hit the ground, dropping into a low crouch to avoid being hit. I reached for the nearest item that could be as a weapon, a coffee mug that had been sitting next to my phone, and threw it at him. It bounced off harmlessly.

"Any other bright ideas, genius?" I questioned, backing up as much as I dared as Calla slinked away from Richie.

"Well, usually I shoot him at this point, but Leo made me leave my Plasma Gun at home because I would get in trouble with the convention people." Calla replied. "So, um, yeah. No."

Richie advanced on us. "Good thing I've got one." I replied before ducking past him. He didn't care; so long as he had one of us, I think he was happy. I briefly wondered where Mort was, but honestly, if he wasn't here, I didn't care where he was. I clenched my fists, ready to tackled the bad guy, when a voice came from behind me.

"Hey, need some help?" I looked over my shoulder to see Leo and Jaime standing behind me.

"Hit him with everything you've got." I instructed. They obliged, both of them shooting the villain with all their might. Calla, realizing what my idea was, ducked low, hands over her head as the goon tripped over her, tumbling into the cage. Just like I'd hoped, the EMP had worn off, and when he touched it, his entire body began to spasm, electrical bolts racing through his system.

He fell to the ground, unconscious, as Calla got to her feet. "Dani, you're a genius."

"Shh. It's a secret." I told her. She laughed in response, dusting her off her costume.

"Guys, they're in here!" Leo called out the door before looking at Calla. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." She promised him.

"I am too, in case anyone cared." I added, not really offended.

"I do." Kaz pushed past Jaime and opened his arms. I hugged him tightly before kissing him hungrily, wishing he'd been there with me before. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." I told him before kissing him again. When I pulled away, I took his hand.

"How'd you guys find us?" Calla questioned as Leo handed her a red cell phone.

"Security cameras." Skylar replied as she and Ollie walked in. Alivia was right behind them, looking a little worn out. "Once we realized you were missing, Leo hacked into them."

"You saw us being kidnapped on the security cameras?" Well, that was really stupid of Mort and Richie to not delete the footage.

"Actually, they deleted the footage." Ollie explained. I stand corrected. "But only specific times were deleted, so we just figured out which footage was deleted when and followed the trail."

"Smart." Calla nodded thoughtfully.

"Mort got away." Alivia announced. "He escaped into the convention before I could stop him, and we'll never find him in that. There's millions of them."

"They wanted to know about Quimby Fletcher, didn't they?" Ollie guessed, sounding guilty. He looked at Kaz. "They've gone after both of you now because of my dream."

"What?" Calla questioned. Before any of us could reply, she stopped us. "Wait, do I really want to know?"

"Not really." Kaz replied.

"Okay. Then don't tell me." She looked at Leo. "I feel like going home. You? I can call K-Dog and Rio, have them Geoleap us."

"Sounds good." Leo agreed. He pulled out his phone. "But let me call them; I think your battery died."

"Okay." Calla agreed. Leo headed out of the room, presumably to make the call. Calla looked at me. "So, this happen to you guys everyday?"

"Lately? Seems like it." Kaz commented. Calla chuckled tiredly.

"Your lives are crazier than mine. And that's saying something." She sighed. "Look, this Quimby Fletcher stuff. It's dangerous, right?"

"We think so." Alivia nodded.

"If you guys get in over your head, call me. Leo, Adam, Bree, Chase, and I will be here in a heartbeat. Or if you're ever in trouble, alright?" She looked at us pointedly.

"I got you kidnapped, and you want to come back for more?" I looked at her, surprised. "You're nuts."

"No, I just figure we all got a better chance if our friends have our backs." She replied as Leo walked back in. Two teenagers, our age, followed him in. "Hey guys."

"Kidnapped again, Calla?" The boy teased. She rolled her eyes and held her hand out to me.

"Dani Short, it was a pleasure working with you." She commented, sounding business like. I smirked.

"I couldn't have said it better myself." I replied, laughing as I shook her hand. For some reason, as she, Leo, and their friends disappeared before us, I felt like this was the beginning of a very interesting friendship.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Still not sure how happy I am with that ending, but I couldn't think of a different way to end it. Anyway, I figure a lot of people who read the Lab Assistant enjoyed Calla and Leo's surprise visit. And for all of those who have no idea who they are, I seriously suggest you read The Lab Assistant, or at least the first chapter. Anyway, here's the new, revised schedule for the Days of Our Lives:**

 **December 22** **nd** **– Thanks for the Memory Drives**

 **December 26** **th** **– The Dirt on Skylar and Kaz**

 **December 30** **th** **– The Mother of All Villains**

 **December 31** **st** **– Childhood's End**

 **Now, I warn you that some of those dates are subject to change (not that I'm all that great at updating on time when I'm stressed with stuff) mostly due to family obligations. Between all my parents and step-parents, I've got three families to accommodate over the Christmas season, so things are always pretty busy. I really want to get the story finished for the New Year, but I might have to push the last couple of chapters back a week if things are especially busy.**


	32. Thanks for the Memory Drives

**Kihonne: I'm back with another chapter! I've brought Thanks for the Memory Drives, and I hope you guys like it, but before that, it's shoutout time!**

 **Xxx**

 **Kai is the best: I'm glad you liked it. As for Mort knowing her identity, Calla's got that covered. And yes, poor Richie – he never really did have a chance. As for Mort's part in The Power of Seven, I can't say at the moment how that will play out, simply out of desire to keep it a surprise. Some parts of Elite Force will be changed, especially towards the end. The Attack will definitely play out differently, to encompass the plans I have for the second season. I, personally, don't think the Arcturion would have made a comeback should the series have gotten a second season – I suspect they would have brought in something new and even more powerful. As for who will die in Mighty Med, I will reveal at least one name in the final chapter, and more names will be revealed throughout The Power of Seven. Mighty Med won't have such the happy ending that The Lab Assistant did – in fact, it'll pretty much be the opposite of a happy ending. You're not very far off with your guess about the number of words in my stories – between both the Days of Our Lives and The Lab Assistant, the word count is 990,457. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the chapter, and I hope you like this chapter just as much.**

 **Duggie Davenport: I'm glad you liked it so much, especially the references to DC comics and MacGyver. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **LabGirl2001: Thanks. I'm glad you liked it, especially the in-twin-ition bit. I hope you like this chapter just as much.**

 **FangirlIsh13: Yes, they finally met! I'm glad you liked it so much. And you are right – this is only the first of many crazy and ridiculously dangerous adventures. I'm glad you're excited, and I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much.**

 **Algernon: I'm glad you understand. People are so much more understanding when it comes to this story, and I really appreciate it. Yes, it would have been more interesting to see how Dani interacted with the others, but I couldn't figure out a way to get everyone into the chapter without forcing it. To answer your question, Calla had been my plan since the very beginning, though the original plan was slightly altered. Originally, she was supposed to pass through Philadelphia with Rebeccka on the way to whatever college I was going to have Becky attend. I changed the idea to having Leo accompany her to Comic Con about a month and a half ago. I'm glad to have caught your off guard – I want to have a few twists and turns to surprise the readers, though it was killing me not telling anyone about my plans. And yes, that is clue number 2 is down. Electricity is the only one left, though I won't reveal what that's about. Calla and Dani are going to have a pretty interesting relationship – their very different personalities will make their adventures pretty fun to write, and hopefully read. Oh, and really? Timeline is alive? Cool. I could only make out five of the names on the list. I'm not sure if I'll include him in the story, as I've never particularly liked the character, but now that I think about it, he might be helpful for one or two appearances. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **IAMAGUEST: I'm glad you liked it so much! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter just as much!**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: On with the chapter!**

 **Dani: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Alivia, Dani, Barry, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Kaz's POV**

"So, you seriously got kidnapped?" Barry questioned, looking at my girlfriend in concern. The three of us, along with Oliver, Skylar, and Alivia were in the Domain, the time well past midnight. We'd only just gotten back from San Diego, and, while Jaime took Richie away to Mighty Max, we headed to the one place we knew no one would interrupt us.

"Yeah. I'm fine though." Dani assured him, crossing her legs and leaning back on the couch. "But we seriously need to figure out who those henchmen are working for. Richie's not much of a talker, so I doubt interrogating him will give us any leads…"

"I was thinking…maybe it's Slaughtermaster." Alivia suggested. "I mean, think about it. The Annihilator was the unofficial leader of the villain world until he was defeated, so someone had to have stepped up in his place. And Slaughtermaster is definitely heartless and ruthless enough to do so."

"Or maybe one of the airlines." Skylar added. We all looked at her, confused. "Okay, it's bad enough that I can't fly anymore, but 25 bucks to check luggage? That's beyond evil!"

"Why do you have to check luggage? You only have one outfit." I commented as I laid my arm across Dani's shoulders.

"Okay, the number of Skylar's outfits is not the focus here." Barry intervened before Skylar could retort. He looked at Dani. "You think those henchmen might go after you again? Well, the one who escaped, anyway?"

"No." She shook her head. "They don't know who I am – I was wearing a wig when they kidnapped me, and I used Calla's name. And she's surrounded by bionic superhumans all day long, so I doubt she's in any danger whatsoever. Even Mort's not stupid enough to go after her on the Bionic Island. Besides, it's not me they want." She looked at Oliver, biting her lip worriedly.

"I'm safe for now." He reminded her gently before looking at the rest of us. "But we have to figure out who those villains are before they figure out I'm Quimby Fletcher."

"Is there anything you remember from when you were kidnapped? Either of you?" Alivia looked at Dani and I. Dani frowned.

"Um. No. They were both powerful, creepy…I think Richie had a tattoo on his wrist…"

"An infinity symbol, right?" I asked. She nodded. "Mort has the same one. I saw it the first day we met."

"You know, I think Principal Howard had one too." Barry added. "I remember thinking 'Hey, Principal Howard has an infinity tattoo'."

"That's a fascinating story, Barry. Lots of twists in it." I commented sarcastically. Dani elbowed me in the ribs, rolling her eyes.

"What I mean is, maybe they're working together." Barry insisted.

"You could be right." Oliver agreed. "Principal Howard's down in Mighty Max. You guys sneak him out and interrogate him. Dani and I will meet up with you later."

"Why? Where are you going?" Skylar questioned.

"Tuxedo fitting. Mom's making me go to." Dani sighed, getting up.

"Ten bucks says she forces you into dress shopping right after." Ollie commented. Dani sighed, nodding in agreement. "Come on."

Dani sighed and followed him out, but not before shooting us all a look of desperation as she went. I looked at Skylar and Barry. "Alright, I guess you guys are going to have to fill in for them."

"What does that involve?" Skylar questioned.

"Well, it's simple." Alivia told them. "Barry, act like you've got a stick up your butt, and Skylar, do the exact opposite of what he says."

 **Xxx**

"And they're back." Barry announced. I looked up from my comic book to see Alivia and Jaime walk back into the Domain, the latter carrying a heavy looking backpack. "Hey, Skylar, close the blinds, would you?"

Skylar pulled the blinds down over the store's windows, keeping anyone from seeing what we were doing. Barry locked the door behind the girls as Jaime placed her backpack on top of the store's counter, and unzipped it, revealing Principal Howard's head inside. Alivia pulled the head out, a disgusted look on her face, and placed it right-side right on the counter, facing it towards us.

"About time!" Principal Howard complained. "It reeked of corned beef in there!"

"What are you complaining for?" Alivia retorted as Jaime subtly sniffed the inside of her backpack. "They were keeping you in a birdcage."

"Principal Howard," Skylar cleared her throat, approaching the severed head. "Kaz and Dani were both captured by two villains looking for an intergalactic power source called the Arcturion. They had the same tattoo as you."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Do you see any tattoos on my body?" Principal Howard retorted. "Oh wait! Thanks to you, I don't have a body!"

"Okay, you want to play it that way? Fine." Jaime smirked. "If you don't talk, I'll put you in the cell of certain destruction, where you'll be turned into an action figure."

"Yeah." I reached into my backpack and pulled out a plastic, headless Barbie doll. "And then I'll attach your tiny head to this broken doll." I pulled the matching, hot pink car out of my backpack next. "Then I'll make you ride around in this pink toy convertible. And then make you drive to the make-believe mall."

"Okay, okay. I'll talk." Principal Howard said quickly, his eyes watching the toys warily.

"But before you do," Skylar looked at me, "why do you have all that? It's just weird."

"We're supposed to be interrogating him." I reminded her, nodding at Principal Howard's head. She sighed, but let the matter drop.

"Now, who do you work for?" Barry demanded. When Principal Howard was slow to respond, I placed the doll next to him.

"Okay! We all work for Mr. Terror." He admitted. Huh, I'd never heard the name before. I glanced at the others to see if they had.

"He's a myth." Alivia commented slowly.

"No, he's not." Principal Howard replied. "He's real."

"Who is he?" Skylar questioned.

"A ruthless criminal genius so secret, no one's ever seen his face." He explained.

"Maybe he's horribly disfigured." I suggested. Why else would he hide this face? "Now, where's the Arcturion."

"I can't remember." Principal Howard told us. "Before I could report back to Mr. Terror, I transferred all the information about the Arcturion onto a memory drive, and it's missing."

"I pulled that memory drive out at school, but I'm not sure what happened to it afterwards." Alivia told us.

"It's probably still there. Let's go get it." Barry suggested.

"You're outta luck." Principal Howard laughed. "The memory drive is designed to explode it if remains uninstalled for a specific period of time. You only have two hours and eleven minutes left to get it before it goes boom."

"Well, that's too bad for you." Jaime smiled at him sweetly. "Because if it goes boom, you go boom."

Principal Howard looked at her, frightened.

"Come on. The school should be closed for the Christmas holidays." Barry told us.

"Wait." Skylar stopped us. "I have one more question. Seriously, Kaz, why do you have all that stuff?"

"Khloe, Katie, and Kasey's birthdays are coming up; I needed to get them something." I replied. "Now, c'mon!"

 **Dani's POV**

I sighed, leaning against the wall and crossing my arms as I watched Ollie examine his tuxedo. Mom was busy doing the same, a frown on her face as she looked over my brother's outfit, while Horace helped Alan fix his bowtie.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated, as did Ollie's. We both pulled out our phones at the same time, reading the message.

 **From: Kaz**

 **Hurry!**

Ollie and I exchanged looks. "I think we're good here." I said loudly. Ollie nodded.

"Yeah, the tuxedo is perfect." He agreed.

"If by perfect, you mean poorly designed and badly sewn." Mom retorted, shaking her head. She glanced at the tailor. "No offense. I'm sure you're doing the best you can with what you've got, which is no skills and a poorly run shop."

"I agree." Alan commented as he chewed on a strip of red. "And his licorice is stale."

"That's a tape measure." I pointed out, pocketing my cell phone.

"Let's get Horace's opinion on the tux." Ollie suggested, climbing off the stool he'd been standing on, and approaching our boss. "Maybe I should talk to him privately, man to man, because this is _mighty_ important."

Unsurprisingly, Horace completely missed the hint. "Oliver, we're going to be a family soon. Anything you have to say, you can say in front of all of us. I'll show you: sometimes I like to drink milk out of a baby bottle."

We all looked at him in disgust, even Mom. "Look, I really think Dani and I can go." Ollie insisted. "She has no actual reason to be here, and this tuxedo is the one."

"Yes." Mom agreed. Finally! "If I decide that you're going to wear tuxedos."

"What else would they be wearing?" I questioned incredulously, staring at her. To my surprise, she gave me a knowing look.

"We are also considering a theme wedding." She looked plain disgusted at the very idea. Ollie and I just stared at her.

"Seriously?" "What theme?" We both demanded.

"We haven't decided. We have 50 outfits to try on." She didn't sound to excited, even as she waved her hand at the tailor. He pulled in a rack of different costumes, with numerous themes.

"You have got to be kidding me." I muttered, looking at Ollie.

"Excuse me." Horace approached the tailer. "Do you have a dinosaur costume in a men's regular?"

 **Kaz's POV**

"What the…?" We burst into the school, intending on looking for the memory drive, but to our surprise, the entire lobby was filled with students. There were at least 60 of them, all surrounding different booths. "It's winter break. Why is the school full?"

"Wait, there's Jordan." Barry pushed through the crowds until we reached the girl's booth. She stood in behind a table, looking up at a giant painting of a happy face. "Hey, Jordan. What's everyone doing here during vacation?"

"The school art fair. I told you about it last week." She replied. "Check out my latest painting."

She turned and gestured at the giant smiley face. "I call it 'Agony'." She announced proudly.

"I don't get it." Jaime frowned. Jordan didn't look phased.

"That's because it's not done yet." She assured us. She bent underneath the table and pulled out an axe. Without a warning, she spun around and imbedded it in the center of the painting. "Now it's done."

"I like it." Barry nodded, smirking. Jordan smiled happily, brushing her hair away from her ear to reveal a black and gold earring that looked very much like a memory drive.

"That's the memory drive! Why is she wearing it as an earring?" Alivia hissed, pulling us away.

"She must have picked it up in the hallway after the fight." Skylar realized. "We've got to get it away from her somehow."

"I've got this." Barry assured us before walking over to Jordan. "Hey Jordan, I like your earring. It makes you look sweet and feminine."

"It does?" She stared at him before pulling it out. "Ugh! Take it!"

"Okay." Barry took the earring from her and walked back over to us, turning it over in his fingers. "Who da man?!" He grinned.

"Uh, hate to break to you, 'man', but she's wearing the same earring." Jaime interrupted, nodding at Clarrissa, a blonde girl from my gym class, as she walked by us. Sure enough, she was sporting the same exact earring.

"Jordan, why is she wearing the same earring?" I questioned.

"Oh, Gus thought it was cool, so he made replicas of it and is selling them." She leaned against the table. "Why he needs more money, I have no idea."

Looking around, I noticed Gus standing near another booth, tossing crumpled up dollars into the garbage can like basketballs. "Hey, Jordan." I ran up to him. "I wanted to ask you something. That earring that Jordan was wearing, is it the original?"

"I don't know." He admitted. "I gave the original to my manufacturer, and when he gave them back, they were all mixed up like salad, and my grandma, who thinks she's salad."

"How many did you make?" Skylar demanded.

"Only, like, four or five…" We all let out a sigh of relief, "…hundred."

We all exchanged looks. Everyone in the room was wearing earrings like that. "We need those earrings." Jaime commented.

"This is going to take a while." I commented, sighing.

 **Dani's POV**

"Danica, get out of the changeroom." Mom ordered. I groaned, then hiked up the front of the heavy gown she'd forced me to try on, then stepped out of the change room, focusing on not trip or twisting my ankle. I hated dresses, particularly of the pink variety, but even more than that, I hated heels. Walking in them were impossible!

I stepped out into the middle of the shop, then looked at my mom. "I am not wearing this."

"This is insane." Ollie agreed, walking out in a court jester costume. Well, at least it was better than the princess costume. "Mom, why would you even want a theme wedding? That doesn't sound like you at all."

"Actually, it was my idea." Horace offered. Ollie and I exchanged looks, not at all surprised. "I love playing dress-up, almost as much I love milk."

I heard my phone go off, but as it was currently sitting on top of my bag, near the door, I couldn't go check it. Luckily, Ollie appeared to have gotten the same message, and he gave me a worried look.

"We have to go." Ollie told our mother. "So you guys continue on without us, and I'm sure whatever outfits you pick out-"

"Who locked the door?" I demanded when the doorknob wouldn't budge, inadvertently interrupting my brother.

"I did." Alan told us, walking up to us. "Look, you two are clearly upset about our family dynamic, so I think we should have a family feelings session, because there's nothing more important that family. Right, Mom?"

I made a face as Alan kissed up to my mother. "Oh, that's so sweet that you called me Mom." She looked at Alan sternly. "Don't do it again."

"Alan!" I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from the adults. "You can't lock us in."

"We have to deal with a superhero emergency." Ollie added, keeping his voice low. "We have to go."

"You're not going anywhere." Alan retorted. "I'm sick of being unappreciated, so I will not rest until the favorite in the family is me!"

"Then let me go. I'm not even in the running!" I insisted.

"Alan, I think a family meeting is a wonderful idea!" Horace exclaimed. "Because Bridget told me to say so."

Mom didn't look to pleased that Horace ratted her out like that. She approached Ollie and I. "Why can't you be more like Alan?" She questioned. "Mature, enlightened, bright."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, staring at her incredulously.

"He's about to eat a pin cushion!" Ollie exclaimed. Alan paused, his mouth hovering over the red pin cushion.

"I thought it was a very dry and prickly tomato." He explained, putting it down.

"Well, Oliver, at least he eats what he thinks are vegetables." She defended him.

 **Kaz's POV**

"How are we going to get all these earrings before the memory drive explodes?" Jaime wondered, looking around.

"I wish Oliver was here." I muttered. "Thinking make my head hurt. Or Dani, she makes it more fun at least."

"I'll just think the way Oliver does." Skylar offered. She thought for a moment. "I've got it. Remember the issue of the Crusher where he does the thing with the thing, and gets the thing out of the thing?"

"You're just speaking gibberish." Alivia told her. I nodded in agreement.

"Isn't that what Oliver does?" Skylar questioned. "I really don't listen."

I sighed. Fine, I'd figure it out. I thought hard, hard enough to make my head hurt. "I have an idea." I winced. "But first, we need the enlarging ray from Mighty Med."

 **Xxx**

"This is a terrible idea." Skylar muttered as I led her into the lobby. "And why do I have to be the one to do this?"

"Because you were the last one to say 'not it'." Barry reasoned, smirking. "Now, don't be a baby."

"Call me a baby again, and you won't live to regret it." She warned.

"Just go." Alivia told them. Skylar followed me into the middle of the lobby.

"Connie!" I exclaimed loudly, getting everyone's attention. "Why is your ear so huge?"

She turned around to reveal her ear, now three times its regular size. "Gus, I put on your cheap earring, and it must be defective. It make my ear swell up!" Skylar looked at him accusingly.

"Yeah, and it's not the only side effect." Barry smirked. "It also makes her run repeatedly into walls."

Skylar glared at him, but his smirk on grew as she was forced to turn around and walk straight into the wall several times.

"There must be a mistake." Gus told the group of people that were now looking at him suspiciously. "Give me a minute to think."

Instead of taking that minute to think things over, Gus took a deep breath then bolted out the door, running as fast as he could.

"You all better get rid of those earrings." Jaime announced, grabbing an empty box off a table and holding it out for people to place their earrings in. "They're defective and have terrible side effects."

"Yeah, and you better get rid of all your money too." Jordan added, holding out her hat to people. "You touched your earring, then your money. Who knows what got all over it?"

Unsurprisingly, no one bought that. However, everyone did give Jaime their earrings, until the box she was holding was overflowing with them.

"Okay, that's all over. Now, can you please shrink my ear back down?" Skylar requested as the crowd dissipated.

"Oh, yeah. Sure." I agreed, pulling the enlarging ray out of my back pocket. "Just let me reverse the settings."

I pulled a couple of the switches on the device, then pointed it at Skylar's ear, and pulled the trigger. After a second of watching the beam of energy surround her ear, I released it, and the beam disappeared. I frowned, noticing how small her ear was. It wasn't abnormal, but it did look a little too small. "Oh, no. I made it way too small."

"No." Skylar felt her ear with her hand. "This is the normal size of my ears."

"Really?" I wrinkled my nose. "Ew."

"Hey!" Skylar looked at me, offended.

"Okay, now we need to figure out which one of these memory drives is Principal Robot Head's." Barry declared. We started for the door, but froze as Mort himself walked in.

"Uh oh." I muttered. I glanced over my shoulder to see another henchmen, just as large and threatening as Richie was, walk in the back door. "Guys, we're in trouble."

"No shit, Sherlock." Jaime muttered. "But at least they can't attack with all these witnesses around."

"Attention!" Mort called to everyone in the room. "My associate and I run a television company, and we're holding auditions in the civic center right now for our new reality show…Who Wants to be Famous for No Reason Whatsoever."

Everyone in the school fled from the building, heading for the civic center. "The sad thing is, I would watch that." Skylar commented as the two henchmen approached us.

"You again." Mort snarled, recognizing me. He grabbed me by the front of my shirt and pushed me up against one of the tables.

"Watch it." Alivia warned as her girlfriend clenched her fists, sparks flying from them.

"Your Principal Howard never reported to the big boss." Mort ignored her. "Now we know why. You got his memory drive."

"Look, you're not getting the memory drive." I told him. He looked at me and hissed, his forked tongue sticking out and his eyes turning yellow, so I did the only sane thing; I ran. I raced to the other side of the room, Alivia at my side, while Skylar, Barry, and Jaime dealt with the big guy. Alivia, and I ducked behind Jordan's booth, using the art material there to launch at Mort. However, the unusually short man ducked and avoided most of the items being thrown at him.

Barry and the other girls seemed to be in a similar position. Barry was throwing art at the giant man, while Jaime shot balls of electricity (however, you could tell that she was being careful with her aim – the room wasn't very big, and she clearly didn't want any of her shots to go wild and hurt one of us by mistake), and Skylar used her flexibility and experience in hand-to-hand combat to land a few good punches. Unfortunately for them, their henchmen had a sword.

"Wait, why the heck aren't we using the axe?" Alivia demanded, reaching for it. She pulled as hard as she could, but only succeeded in dislodging the wooden handle, leaving the blade stuck in the painting.

"That's why." I took the piece of wood from her and threw it at Mort. He ducked and it flew past him, right past Skylar's face.

"Kaz!" She exclaimed, annoyed.

"Sorry!" I apologized. I winced as the henchmen she was fighting took advantage of the distraction and grabbed by the back of her shirt. He threw her into the air and she landed hard, hitting Jaime and taking the blonde down with her.

"Kaz!" This time is was Alivia shouting my name, as she grabbed me by the back of my shirt and pulled me backwards, just in time to avoid one of Mort's disgusting goo balls. We both ducked under the table, and suddenly, I had an idea. I grinned, grabbing the enlarging ray and I used it on my hand, until it was three times its normal size.

I did so with perfect timing, too, as Mort chose that moment to flip the table we were hiding under. I stood up and, before he could react, punched him in the gut with all my might. He soared through the air, and hit the big henchmen, knocking him down and out.

"Impressive." Jaime smiled at me.

"Kaz, that was fantastic." Skylar smiled, agreeing with her. I raised my fist, the large one, for a fist bump, but when we hit our fists together, I must have used too much strength because I heard a crack and she pulled her hand away, shaking it as she winced in pain.

"Oops." I laughed apologetically.

 **Dani's POV**

I crossed my arms, annoyed with this entire situation. "Now, remember, this is an open forum." Alan said calmly from where he was sitting across from me. "The most important thing is for us to be honest. Right, Dad?"

"Right son." Horace agreed. Ollie and I exchanged looks.

"I want to leave. Is that honest enough?" I asked, glaring at Alan.

"Perfect. Get all that out there." Horace assured me. I rolled my eyes. "And since we're being honest, Bridget, sometimes when I'm kissing you, I'm thinking of a bridge."

"And sometimes, when I'm kissing you, I'm thinking about money." Mom admitted.

They leaned in to kiss each other, just as me and Ollie's phones went off. Glancing at the text message, I frowned.

 **From: Kaz**

 **Get to the Domain! Now! *Alarmed face emoji***

"Look, as fun as this is, we really have to go." Ollie told them. I practically leapt from my seat and tried the door, but it was still locked.

"Mom! Make Alan unlock the door right now!" I exclaimed, annoyed.

"Dani, don't talk to your mother like that." Horace scolded. I stood my ground. My and Ollie's friends were in trouble, and they needed us, and we were being detained so that Alan could have his freaking ego stoked.

"We need to go." Ollie insisted.

"Danica…" I glared at Alan. "Dani, I mean, and Oliver, your jealousy of me is tearing this family apart. I think the only way for us to move forward is for you to give me a hug and a kiss and say 'Alan, even though you're great in every way, and we are, at best, below average, we love you'."

"No way." I muttered, looking back at Horace and my mother. However, they both looked like they liked the idea. "C'mon."

"Alan, even though you are great in every way," It was like the words physically hurt my brother.

"And we are, at best, below average, we love you." I finished, feeling sick to my stomach. Alan smirked, then turned his face and tapped his cheek. Ollie gave me a look, but I shook my head, so he leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the side of his cheek.

"Looks like we're all just one big happy family." Horace smiled.

"Can we go?" Ollie questioned. Mom sighed.

"You can, Danica stay." She instructed.

"What? Why?" I demanded. Mom gave me a stern look.

"You still need a dress for the wedding, and I wanted to speak with you." She replied.

"Can't we do this tomorrow?" I questioned.

"No, tonight." She insisted. Ollie stood awkwardly by the door.

"Dee…" He looked at me hopefully, and I sighed.

"Look, Mom, I've got important stuff to do that can't wait. So, punish me however you would like, but I'm still going to go." I told her, almost apologetic, before following my brother out the door.

 **Kaz's POV**

"One of these memory drives is yours." I told Principal Howard as Skylar, Jaime, Alivia, Barry, and I dumped the memory drives onto the counter.

"We have to plug each of them into your head to figure out which is the real one." Skylar added.

"Wait." Jaime stopped us, her eyes focused on the door. "Someone's coming."

Sure enough, there were two shadows, the people hidden by the blinds, coming towards the door. We all stepped in front of the severed head, but thankfully it was only Oliver and Dani. "'Bout time." Jaime commented as they walked in.

"Sorry." Dani apologized. "I was a princess and Ollie had to kiss Alan."

I frowned, looking at them. "Okay, normally I'd have follow-up questions, but we're about to explode in two minutes, so I'll save them for later."

"Good idea." Oliver agreed. We started plugging memory drives into Principal Howard's head, one by one. None of them were even remotely useful – we got photos and videos of everything from cat videos, to old men in bathing suits.

"Fifteen seconds left." Principal Howard warned.

"We only have time for one more drive." I commented.

"Liv, you pick!" Dani exclaimed. The red-head looked at her.

"Why me?" She demanded.

"Luck of the Irish!" Dani reasoned.

"You know, that's not a real thing." Alivia pointed out, even as she grabbed a random memory drive and stuck it into Principal Howard's head as he began to count down.

"Four…three…two…" He stopped at two, and when nothing happened, we all let out a sigh of relief.

"I stand corrected. Yay luck of the Irish." Alivia laughed lightly.

"We're all fine." Barry smiled.

"Yeah, I've never been better." Principal Howard commented sarcastically. "I'm a disembodied head imprisoned in a comic book store run by a bunch of idiots."

"Hey!" Barry frowned. "Gus and I run the store together, and he's the only idiot."

Principal Howard didn't respond, instead projecting a screen in front of us. An image of a space ship, very similar to the stereotypical UFO but with what looked like pretty high-tech controls, was the central image. There was a lot of words next to it, none of it in English, and a small picture of a triangular prism above it. Inside the prism, there was a hot pink ball.

"That's the space ship from my dream." Oliver announced.

"This is Baaaaaaaaaahanian." Skylar announced, stressing the first few A sounds.

"It's what?" Even Alivia looked confused.

"An ancient language. Not many use it anymore, but we learn the basics on Caldera when we're young." Skylar explained.

"Can you read it?" Jaime questioned. Skylar frowned.

"It says the spaceship is buried underneath…the school." She glanced at us. "It doesn't say which one, but I'd be willing to guess that it's Logan High."

"It would explain why Principal Howard was there." Barry mentioned.

"It also says that the Arcturion is inside it." Skylar added. I gasped and looked at Oliver.

"Maybe when you fell into the construction site, you touched something that had been in contact with the Arcturion, and that's why you had the dream." I suggested.

"That's why there's been so much villain activity at the school." Alivia realized. "I bet the villains are drawn to the Arcturion's power without even knowing why, like moths to the light."

"Actually, moths are drawn to the light because of the innate behavior called transverse…" Oliver trailed off, noticing our expressions. "You don't care."

"Sorry bro." Dani patted him on the shoulder.

"Uh, I just translated the rest." Skylar looked at us, Oliver in particular, worriedly.

"What's it say?" Alivia questioned. Skylar took a deep breath, then read it out loud.

"'To all operatives. Find Quimby Fletcher…remove his skin and roast him over an open flame.'" Oliver gulped nervously. "'Signed, Mr. Terror.'"

"Oh, my god." Jaime looked at Oliver. "They're going to slow cook you until your meat falls off your bones."

"I think he gets the point, honey." Alivia told her, giving Oliver a sympathetic look.

 **Bridget's POV**

"…doubt Alivia's going to let you out of her sight until this is all cleared up." I looked up from my laptop as the front door opened.

"Danica, my office." I called, recognizing my daughter's voice. The conversation stopped completely, and Danica stepped into my office, Oliver standing closely behind as if he were ready to step in. "Just Danica. Oliver, you can go."

"Uh…" He looked at his sister. "I'll be upstairs."

She smiled at him gratefully, and watched him go. I sighed. "Danica…"

"I'm sorry." She cut me off, rushing to get her two-cents in before I could begin. While this wasn't uncommon – she rarely let me finish a sentence when she felt argumentative – I was surprised to hear her apologize. Perhaps Oliver had spoken to her. "I was rude before I left, I realize that, and I shouldn't have spoken the way I did."

"Are you trying to avoid punishment, or do you really mean your apology?" I questioned, skeptically. She didn't answer, confirming my thoughts. "Take a seat."

"I'm good standing." She insisted, staying close to the door. I bit back a sigh, then looked at her.

"Danica, I realize that you're unhappy with my marrying Horace," I began.

"Horace isn't the issue." She muttered under her breath, likely believing I wouldn't hear it.

"You and I have never seen eye to eye." I acknowledged. If she wanted me to state this bluntly, I would. It was the only way we were going to be able to have this conversation. "Things between us have always been complicated, and I would like to change that."

For a moment, she seemed caught off guard. I almost smiled; my daughter was far more clever than she acted, and it was genuinely hard for me to surprise her like this, so when I could, it was a genuine pleasure.

"Why?" She asked after a moment, her tone laced with suspicion.

"After the wedding, things are going to change," Very quickly, I suspected, "And I know I sprung this wedding on both Oliver and you."

"Then why aren't you speaking to him too?" She questioned.

"Because I don't have to worry about losing him." Not nearly as much, anyway. While my daughter may be a loose cannon at times, Oliver was loyal and family was too important for him to give up. Danica looked like she wanted to argue, but I stopped her. "You're seventeen, now, Danica. You graduate in little over a year, and I suspect that the moment you do, you're going to leave and you're not likely to come back."

She didn't answer, instead looking down to avoid my gaze. A mask of guilt was plastered over her face, confirming my theory. "I never intended to have a bad relationship with you."

"Well, I was never good enough for you, right?" She accused, glaring at me. "Not like Ollie."

"Oliver was always the more responsible one. I could afford to give him more freedom." I reasoned. She crossed her arms. "But that does not mean that I love you less, or that I want you to leave."

She sighed. "What is the point of this conversation, Mom?"

"I wanted to make a deal with you." I offered. She glanced at me, slightly intrigued. "I want a fresh start between the both of us. And I need you to trust that I have you and your brother's best interests in mind when I make my decisions."

"Like the wedding." She commented.

"Like the wedding, and everything that comes after." I promised.

"What do I get out of this?" She questioned. "You not grounding me for my behavior earlier?"

"I'm currently working on a project that will change the way my company is run. If things go well, then I'll have the summer free to take you and Oliver to say…Paris?" Her head snapped in my direction, her eyes wide and startled.

"Paris?" She repeated.

"And perhaps Rome, for Oliver." I reasoned. "I know he wants to see the coliseum."

"So you'll take us to Europe?" She stared at me.

"All you have to do is be open minded about my decisions. Seems fair?" I offered. She nodded, a suspicious frown on her face.

"Fair." She agreed. I was about to say something else, but my phone rang. Glancing at the phone, I realized it was one of my employees.

"I have to take this." I told her. She nodded.

"Okay. I'll go…start dinner." She offered, still looking suspicious. I made sure she was gone, then answered my phone. "I told you what would happen if you failed me again."

" _Mr. Terror."_ Mort's voice trembled as he used my codename. _"Please, just give us one more chance."_

"Talk is cheap, and so lackeys." I warned. "Do not contact me again until you have located Quimby Fletcher. Find out what he knows, and then destroy him."

"Yes, Mr. Terror, sir." Mort replied before hanging up. I sighed, getting up from my desk. The wedding was only a couple of weeks away, and I needed to find Quimby Fletcher. I needed that Arcturion.

I glanced out my office door to see Oliver and Danica in the kitchen, my son pulling out his homework as his sister pulled some cans out of the cupboard. My girl was talking animatedly, glancing over her shoulder every couple of seconds to ensure that she had Oliver's attention. Oh, they were both blissfully unaware of the danger in this world, and, if everything went according to plan, they would stay that way forever.

 **Kihonne: Okay, I thought that would be an interesting way to end things. So, what did you guys think? Good, bad? Somewhere in between? I want to know! Remember reviews are what motivate me, and a review would be a nice Christmas gift. Anyway, here's the rest of the schedule:**

 **December 26** **th** **– The Dirt on Skylar and Kaz**

 **December 30** **th** **– The Mother of All Villains**

 **December 31** **st** **– Childhood's End**

 **Anyway, since I won't see you all again until the 26** **th** **, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and happy holidays to everyone else. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and I will see you all soon.**


	33. The Dirt on Kaz and Skylar

**Kihonne: Alright, I hope everyone had a happy holidays! Seriously, this is my favorite time of the year (well, except for the cold weather. Don't believe all the stereotypes people – Canadians hate the cold too), and I hope it was just as awesome for you guys as it was for me. Anyway, before I get onto the chapter, shout-out time!**

 **Xxx**

 **FangirlIsh13: I have to agree with you on that. 2016 has been wild, and after everything that's happened this year, I hope 2017 will be a better one. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the chapter, especially the ending. I wasn't sure how people would take to that scene, whether they would find it boring or unnecessary or what, so I'm happy to see that so many people found it so insightful. Mr. Terror is definitely my favorite villain in the entire Elite Force series, specifically because of her complexity. The fact that she does have good traits, like the desire to protect her children, makes her so much more believable than some of the other ones that we've seen, and the gray area that I get to explore with her motives is very interesting. Plus, her connection to Oliver and Dani make for even more personal character arcs that I can write. Dani and Bridget have a very interesting relationship, and Dani's need to rebel is a large reason why Bridget is a lot more controlling of her than Oliver. There are other reasons, some that will be revealed a little as we go, but another big one is simply that Dani is more reckless than Oliver, and therefore more likely to go and get herself hurt. I'm actually really enjoying myself as I write their relationship. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter just as much, and enjoy the rest of your holidays.**

 **LabGirl2001: You too! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. I like having Barry be Dani's friend, rather than the way I wrote Caleb. I find it's realistic. Some people never want anything to do with their exes, and some end up being better friends than lovers. And yes, the fact that Bridget is trying to have a good relationship with her will definitely impact Dani when she realizes who her mother is. A much bigger impact that I think anyone realizes. Anyway, I hope you had a good Christmas, and enjoy the chapter!**

 **SzymonS: Sweet, you got an account. And cool name, by the way. Thank you very much for your compliment about my writing of Bridget. Yes, she does know about Dani and Kaz – there was really no reason for Dani to hide it from her, especially since Dani has the habit of trying to tick her mom off. I'm glad you like Barry too. As for Alivia, in the last chapter I didn't have her use her powers because I just couldn't fit more versions of her in there. I mean, I'd already turned a 2 on 2 fight into a 5 on 2 fight. If she'd duplicated herself at all, it would have just been ridiculously unfair for the bad guys. You will also receive another reason for her not using her powers in this chapter. Anyway, while I'm a Canadian, not an American, I personally celebrate Christmas. Anyway, I hope your holidays went well, and enjoy the chapter!**

 **Algernon: Well, I don't want to say too much, but I will say this: I have plans for Jordan, and even more exciting plans for Barry, and some of those plans might involve each other. All I'm gonna say for now. Interpret it how you will ;). I don't take offense – there wasn't much to change in this chapter aside from that. You are right, it was unusual for Bridget to acknowledge how Dani feels about her, but I think that, if this were a real-life situation, it would be the appropriate decision. I disagree with your comment about how most parents aren't aware of how their child feels. I think any parent would realize that they have a strained relationship with their child under these circumstances: A, Dani doesn't even try to hide how much she hates Bridget's treatment of her, and standing next to Oliver who, while he also finds Bridget unreasonable, is very respectful of his mother, would make it even more obvious. However, I must also add that parents usually don't know the cause of their child's feelings. Bridget probably doesn't realize why Dani has a problem with her, she just realizes that there is a problem. I think a parent would, in this situation at least, have this kind of grasp on the situation. As for why Bridget brought this up, as I agree that it is unusual for parents to admit to this kind of thing, Bridget was sincere about not wanting to lose Dani. She must realize that Oliver and Dani will discover her secret when the Arcturion is used – it would be impossible to hide, in her opinion – and Dani is the more likely out of the siblings to dismiss Bridget's motives. Bridget knows that she has to do some kind of damage control if she wants to keep her daughter. Now, onto Europe. Bridget is somewhat aware of these plans – she knows that Dani wants to go on that trip, she just isn't aware of how much planning has gone into it. Dani's practically packed, she just hasn't told many people yet. As for Dani's motivation for going to Europe, I'm afraid it doesn't have anything to do with her Dad – though I commend you for looking for that type of connect. You're one of the few reviewers who really go into the details like that, and it's one of the reasons why I ADORE your reviews so much. Dani's motivations are just a desire to experience life. Especially after discovering that aliens exist, her tiny hometown just seems too small to hold her. She just wants to see what life can offer her, and she thinks that leaving is the only chance she'll be able to experience everything her world has got. It will affect her future, and her decisions then on. Anyway, I'm really glad that scene caught your eye the way it did. I'm glad you liked the Calla secret, again – I've got more secrets in store for you. Don't worry about not being able to pick up the names – I only noticed by accident. The main problem I have with Timeline is that if he can see the future, why didn't he see Roman and Riker's attack before it happened? The only reason I can think of is if they took him out first so he couldn't warn anyone, then attacked the hospital. It's the only thing that makes sense to me. But I still do intend to include time travel into the series, a couple of times actually, but the mechanics of that will be closer to Lab Rats than Mighty Med, if you know what I mean. Anyway, thank you so very much, I hope you had a great Christmas, and enjoy the chapter!**

 **PiLot guest: Don't worry about it – I get how life gets in the way. Believe me, I get it. But thanks for the compliment, and the season's greetings, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: Don't worry about it, and thank you very much. Really, it means a lot. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: On with the chapter!**

 **Megahertz: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Oliver's POV**

"Okay, So we know that the spaceship is buried underneath the school courtyard." Kaz paced in front of us, waving a pen around in his hand. We were back in Mighty Med. Usually, we'd all meet up in the Domain – it was quiet and since Gus rarely went there, Barry could close it whenever we needed him to – but ever since we found out that I was Mr. Terror's target, I'd taken to hiding out at the hospital, where I would be surrounded by my fellow superheroes. "Two, Mr. Terror's put a hit out on Quimby Fletcher AKA Oliver, and three, I love making speeches with a pen in my hand!"

"I don't love it." Skylar pointed out, wiping blue ink splotches off her face. "Your pen is leaking."

"I can't find Horace." Dani announced, walking back into the main part of the ER. "Alan said he's busy preparing for the wedding."

"What about the League of Heroes?" Skylar suggested. "Alivia, weren't you going to contact the League?"

"Liv?" I turned to the girl when she didn't answer, but found her leaning on the counter, her face buried in her crossed arms. "Alivia!"

"Yeah?" She sat straight up, blinking hard. We all looked at her as she regained her bearings. "Sorry."

"You look exhausted. You getting sick?" I asked, concerned. She shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand.

"Mort and that other henchmen saw all five of us, Barry, and Jaime. Now, Jaime's safe because she's back in DC, and Skylar, I'm pretty sure you can handle yourself in a fight," Skylar smirked, "but that means that I have to have duplicates watching you guys at all times in case Mort decides to go after any of you, especially you Oliver, and then I have to still be able to track down leads of my own…"

"You're spreading yourself too thin." I told her. She sighed.

"What else am I supposed to do?" She asked me in exasperation. "I told Dad what was going on, but word got out that Arcturion storyline was based on your dream, so no one in the League of Heroes will believe us."

"Get some help. Jaime…See if you can get Spotlight on board." Dani reasoned.

"He is on board, but he went home to visit his family for the holidays and he got snowed in. I have no idea when he's getting back. As for Jaime…it's complicated." Which I knew was code for, they got into a fight and Alivia didn't want to talk about it. "So for now, I'm all you've got, and I can't be everywhere at once."

"That's literally your only power." Kaz pointed out. She glared at him, exhaustion making her cranky. "I mean, we really appreciate you protecting like this."

"The more I duplicate myself, the more I exhaust myself." She explained. "So, four of you means four duplicates means four times the exhaustion."

"Liv," I waited for her to look at me, "go home. Get some rest."

"Can't." She protested.

"Alivia, take a break." Skylar agreed. "I can take over as bodyguard for a bit."

"For all three?" She questioned.

"Ollie and I are working all day. We'll be here, surrounded by superheroes." Dani assured her. Alivia looked between us, debating.

"You're sure?" She said eventually.

"Go." Kaz insisted, grabbing her by the shoulders and physically leading her towards the doors.

"So, I guess it's up to the three of us to find the Arcturion before Mr. Terror does." I decided.

"No." Dani looked at me like I was an idiot. "Did you not just hear me? We're staying here."

"It's too dangerous for you to come." Skylar agreed. "The moment you step outside, wham!"

I flinched. "Please don't make the sound of me getting destroyed." I begged her. She shook her head.

"I didn't; that was the sound of the door closing behind you." I let out a sigh of relief. "This is the sound of you getting destroyed: bang, bang!"

"Then you go with them." I told my sister. She shook her head.

"Nah, I'm good here." She assured me. I leaned in close to her.

"If we leave them alone, they're just going to argue the whole time and get nothing done. Also, I'm afraid they're going to make fun of me behind my back."

"We don't argue." Skylar retorted as Kaz walked back over.

"And we can't help but make fun of you behind your back. Have you seen your back?" He asked me. "It's really bony."

"You do need to eat more." Dani agreed, leaning her hand on the palm of her hand. I looked at her. "Ollie, this the safest place."

"I doubt he's even safe here." Kaz mentioned. "Anyone could be working for Mr. Terror, including that guy charging at him right now with a giant sword."

I rolled my eyes, unamused. "Very funny, Kaz."

"Ollie." Dani pointed past me. I turned around and to my shock, a nurse came running at me, a sword held high above his head. But when I stepped out of his way, he didn't stop, instead continuing on until he reached Surge's hospital bed. When he went to cut Surge's medical bracelet with the sword, I intervened.

"Jerome!" I snapped, a little annoyed at having been caught off guard like that. "Is it really necessary to use a sword to cut off a medical bracelet?"

To prove my point, I grabbed a pair of scissors and attempted to cut off the bracelet. However, that stupid plastic would not cut. After a couple of moments of trying, I gave up. "Apparently it is necessary. I apologize, Jerome. Proceed."

He used the sword to cut off the medical bracelet, then looked at me pointedly. "I'm sorry." I apologized again before walking back to my friends. "Well, we're going to go." Skylar announced.

"Have fun." Kaz kissed Dani on the cheek before followed Skylar out the door. Dani turned and looked at me, her head still supported by her hand.

"So, what do you wanna do?" She asked me, grinning as if this was just another day and there wasn't anybody trying to have me killed.

"Tecton." I realized, grinning. She frowned, not understanding where I was going with this. "Alivia said she needed help, right? Tecton's available to help. Maybe he's here."

"Maybe not. I'm pretty sure he and his ex are dealing with the custody agreement today or something." She shrugged.

"I'm going to go look anyway." She could be wrong, after all. I went wandering down the hall, trying to locate Tecton or any other, non-injured hero, but the hospital was practically scarce.

"Let's go ask him." Dani nodded at a janitor before walking up to him. "Excuse me. Have you seen-AH!"

She shouted in surprise, though she did, surprisingly, hold her ground when the janitor turned around to reveal the cybernetic implants on his face.

"Megahertz, what are you doing here?" I demanded, looking around for a guard.

"Apparently cleaning your footsteps off my freshly mopped floor." He hit out feet with the mop, forcing both my sister and I to back up. "Why is nobody using the shoe booties like we discussed? Seriously, people, c'mon!"

"I meant why are you a janitor?" I clarified.

"I have work duties as part of my prison sentence." He explained. "It's not fair. Why does Murder Face get to work in the kitchen? They know I'm part microwave!"

"Well, um, have you seen Tecton?" Dani questioned.

"No. Ever since I tried to rip his still-beating heart from his chest, we sort of drifted apart. Why?" Megahertz questioned, frowning. When my sister didn't answer, I did.

"There's a villain after me named Mr. Terror, and he's trying to destroy me." I explained. "We need to get to him before he gets to me."

"Why don't you ask another hero to help?" He questioned.

"No one else is around." Dani explained. "Except for injured heroes, and we can't ask them to help."

"You know, I can help you find and destroy this Mr. Terror." Megahertz offered. "But only if you ca get my jail time reduced to 25 to life. It's currently 25 to afterlife."

Dani and I looked at each other. "It wouldn't impossible to get the sentence reduced…" Dani said thoughtfully.

"How do I know you won't double-cross us?" I questioned skeptically.

"I couldn't if I wanted to." Megahertz retorted. "They make me wear a monitoring device on my ankle. It controls my brain and prevents me from doing anything evil. So, do we have a deal?"

I hesitated. This was, in every way, a bad idea. Megahertz couldn't be trusted, but…but it wasn't like there was any other way. "I guess I don't have any other choice, so it's a deal. But we have to act quickly."

"Let's go." Megahertz agreed.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Okay, so here's the plan." I announced, looking down at the giant hole in front of our school. I held the shovel I'd grabbed from my garage out for Skylar to grab. "You climb in the ditch, and dig for the Arcturion."

"And what are you going to do?" Skylar frowned.

"Nothing." I replied, confused why she thought I'd be helping. "I thought of the plan. Do I have to do everything?"

"Kaz…" She warned, glaring at me.

"Okay, fine. I'll stay up here as the lookout while you dig." I amended my plan. She smirked.

"Better idea: you dig for the Arcturion, and I'll be the lookout, so if a villain shows up, I can fight him." She decided. I sighed.

"Fine." I agreed, ripping the caution tape and climbing down into the hole. She handed me back the shovel. "I'll dig. If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself."

I dug the shovel into the dirt, then purposefully made a weak attempt at removing it. "This is hard." I complained loudly. "Dirt is heavy. I'm thirsty."

"For goodness sake, that's not how you dig." Skylar told me, annoyed.

"Oh, like you could do better." I challenged.

"I can do better." She retorted. "Let me show you."

"Fine." I stepped aside and handed her the shovel. I climbed out of the ditch as she began to dig. "If you insist."

The moment her back was turned, I smirked, knowing she couldn't see it. The smiled faded slightly when I saw Gus walked up to us. "Gus, what are you doing at school? It's a Saturday."

"I left my locker here." He explained. I glanced at Skylar, who was equally confused by his statement.

"You mean, you left something in your locker?" She asked.

"No, I left my locker." Gus gestured over my shoulder. I turned to see his locker sitting on a cart. "I bring my entire locker home with me every night so I don't forget anything that's in my locker."

"But you forgot your entire locker." Skylar pointed out.

"I didn't say it was a perfect system." He admitted. He frowned, looking at us. "What are you guys digging for?"

"We're not digging for anything." I lied quickly. I glanced at the hole. "We're, um…filling this hole. People keep falling in it." To prove my point, I reached out, grabbed Gus by the arm, and pulled him into the hole. "See?"

"Wow, you're right." Gus agreed. "That hole came out of nowhere." I helped him out of it. "I'd offer to help you guys fill it, but that seems hard."

He started to walk away, but Skylar called him back. "You forgot your locker again." She pointed out. He sighed.

"I really need to rethink this system." He muttered before heading back to his locker.

 **Oliver's POV**

"This isn't going to work." Dani smirked, her hand covering her mouth as she tried not to laugh.

"You don't have to find this so funny." I grumbled.

"But, yes, Ollie, I do." She giggled. Megahertz glared at me.

"For the record, I agree with the girl." He commented, frowning as he adjusted the blonde and red-streaked wig upon his head. He was dressed in a Solar Flare costume and, at Dani's suggestion, was sitting in a wheelchair.

"This is the perfect disguise." I insisted. "Trust me. Solar Flare says she's sick of everyone always focusing on her looks."

"She did try to melt Blue Tornado's face off after he complimented her hair yesterday." Dani commented thoughtfully. I nodded.

"I get the feeling you're just doing this to humiliate me." Megahertz grumbled.

"No." Dani shook her head, though she didn't hide the wide smirk on her face.

"And even if we were, you have tried to electrocute us, like, 11 times." I added. Megahertz rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, to lure out the villains who are after you, I put a post on a villain website that Quimby Fletcher would be signing comic books at the Domain this afternoon." He told us.

"Do you think that Mr. Terror's henchmen will the see the post?" Dani questioned.

"Totally." Megahertz agreed. "Every villain is on MurderFaceSpace." He glowered in annoyance. 'First he invents a popular website, then he gets kitchen duty. Murder Face has all the luck."

"Let's just go, okay?" I told them. "We can talk about this later."

"Lead the way." Dani held out her arm and I pushed Megahertz into the ER. The plan was to get him out through the ambulance bay – no one would be down there right now. Unfortunately, this plan went to pieces when we ran into Benny and the real Solar Flare on our way.

"Told you." Dani sang softly as Solar Flare's eyes widened and a ball of fire appeared between her hands. Alarms starting blaring, and I froze. Crap, crap, crap. "Hey, there's no need for that. Replicate is just goofing around and morphed into Solar Flare." Dani lied smoothly, unfazed by the alarms. I nodded eagerly, going with my sister's excuse.

"And Replicate, you look nothing like her." I added. "Solar Flare is way more attractive."

Though, that clearly did not appease the hero. In fact, it only seemed to anger her more. "Not that I'm focusing on your looks. I wouldn't give you on a second glance."

The fireball in her hands grew. I glanced back at Dani and Megahertz for help, but both of them seemed particularly interested in the ceiling. Thanks for the help, guys…

"Not that you're not attractive. I mean, you are attractive, but not…" I tried to correct myself, but at this point, I had no idea what to say. "Please don't melt my face off."

She glared at me for another moment, then let it go. I let out a sigh of relief as the alarms died, and I pushed Megahertz towards the door. "Wow, first you dress me up like a woman, then you tell me I'm not attractive? No wonder you don't have a girlfriend." Megahertz grumbled.

"He's got a point." Dani agreed.

"Well you two are getting awfully chummy." I commented, annoyed. She laughed lightly, amused. "And that was a pretty good lie back there."

"You're welcome." She commented.

"Just be careful. Slippery slope and all." I cautioned.

"Oh, c'mon, Ollie." She looked at me as we left the hospital. "A little white lie never hurt anyone."

 **Kaz's POV**

I flipped through my comic book, crossing my legs. "I hope you're not too tired up there doing nothing."

"How can I be tired?" I replied, scoffing. "I just took a 45-minute nap."

I chuckled, amused that Skylar was still digging and I was still relaxing, and reached for my drink just as the sounds of metal hitting metal came from the hole. "Hey! I hit something! I think it's the alien spaceship!"

"How do you know it's the alien spaceship?" I called back. I really didn't feel like getting up.

"Uh, I'm from space." She reminded me. "I'm an alien."

"Right. I always forget that." I closed my comic book and hopped down into the hole. Skylar was standing above a now open metal trap door. She glanced up at me, then disappeared down the hole. I followed suit, grabbing the rings of a ladder I couldn't really see.

Once Skylar hit a switch and turned on the lights, I had to admit that the ship was pretty cool. It was high-tech, with two big, comfortable chairs in front of a set of controls. There were screens everywhere, their colors ranging from blue to purple. "This is so cool." I commented, looking around. "But I don't see how anyone could travel across the galaxy in this thing. It doesn't even have any cup holders."

"Kaz, focus." Skylar pointed between the chairs. "There are cup holders right in front of you."

"Oh, cool." I grinned, checking them out. Aliens had cup holders.

"Alright, now I just need to find where the Arcturion is." Skylar looked around, a thoughtful frown on her face.

"Hey, I found a clue." I offered, swiping a piece of paper off the controls. It had an image of two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, separating the paper into 9 separate sections. There was three Xs on the sheet, one in top left corner, one in the bottom left corner, and one in the middle section, on the far left. There were also three circles one in the unoccupied section on the left, one in the direct middle, and one in the bottom middle section. "Okay, we just have to decipher the symbols from this ancient alien language."

"Kaz, that's a game of tic-tac-toe." Skylar pointed out.

"Oh." Yeah, that made more sense. "In that case," I pulled a pen out of my pocket, one I'd 'borrowed' from Mighty Med, and finished the game. "I win! Take that, long-dead alien opponent."

"Kaz, look." Skylar pulled a glass pyramid out of a corner or the spaceship. Inside, there was a pink orb, a lavender infinity symbol imprinted in it. "It must be the Arcturion."

"Okay, now let's get out of here and bring this thing back to Mighty Med." Skylar decided.

"I have a better plan." I replied. "We're going to bring this thing back to Mighty Med, but first, we have to get out of here."

"All you did was slightly reword what I said." Skylar accused.

"That's not all I did." I retorted. "I also took credit for your idea."

Suddenly, a weird sound came from above us. I went to check to trapdoor, but I couldn't open it. "What's going on?" Skylar demanded. "Is someone dumping dirt in the ditch?"

"I think so." I frowned, pushing on the door again. It wouldn't even budge. "Must be Mr. Terror's henchmen! They're covering up the escape hatch. It's too heavy to open."

"There's no way out?" Skylar stared at me with wide, desperate eyes. "Why? Why?"

"I'm guessing they're trying to suffocate us, and then they'll dig up the Arcturion and take it." I said thoughtfully.

"No!" She snapped. "I meant of all people to spend my last few minutes alive with, why does it have to be you? Why?"

I rolled my eyes. "Could be worse. If it were Oliver in here with you, he'd be totally freaking out. Claustrophobia, remember?"

"So, you're the second worst person to be stuck in here with?" Skylar looked at me.

"Yep." I nodded. I glanced up at the trapdoor. "You know, I bet it's not even Mr. Terror's henchmen. I bet it's Mr. Terror himself. Only a sick, twisted person could do something this evil."

"It's not use." I commented as Skylar tried the hatch herself. "We're trapped. We're going to be buried alive."

"Help!" She shouted. "Help! Get us out of here! Help!"

"Spaceship help system activated." We turned around to see a holographic lizard head floating above the control panel. Skylar and I looked at each other, then back at the lizard head. "My language sensors have detected English. "I am the holographic caretaker of this ship."

"We need your help." Skylar and I rushed to the seats at the controls. "We're being buried alive and we need to find a way out."

"If you activate the ship's thrusters, there might be just enough fuel left to get you to the surface." The hologram told us. "Here's what you do: First, pull the lavender-colored lever. Then push the button with the canary-colored trapezoid." Skylar did as she was told. "Finally, push the button with the blue colored -"

The next word out his mouth was just a series of growls and clicking noises. "What?" I questioned, confused. Skylar shook her head helplessly, then looked down at the remaining buttons.

"There are only two blue buttons." She commented.

"We'll just try them both." I suggested.

"Excellent plan." The hologram agreed. "Except one of the blue buttons will activate the thrusters, and the other will make your heads explode."

Seriously? Well, actually, I shouldn't be all that surprised – I've seen weirder stuff than buttons that make heads explode.

"So you're saying there's a 50/50 chance of blowing ourselves up?" Skylar demanded.

"I'm sorry, but your help session is now over." The hologram informed us. "Your refernce number is Y, as if you're, G, as in going, 2 as in to, and D, as in die."

The hologram disappeared. "Well, he was helpful." I laughed nervously, glancing at the buttons.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Wow, why did no one show up for the Quimby Fletcher book signing?" I wondered, looking around. The Domain was completely empty – not even Barry or Gus had bothered to show up.

"I guess villains don't use MurderFaceSpace anymore." Megahertz commented, frowning.

"I can't say I blame them." Dani mentioned, looking at her phone. "How may videos do we have to see of your baby's first crime?"

"Are you on that site?" I demanded, looking at her. She glanced at her phone, then back at me, before quickly sliding the device back into her pocket.

"…No." She mumbled.

"Dee, that site's for villains!" I scolded. She shrugged.

"The more we learn about the superhero's enemies, the easier we can defeat them." She reasoned. "If we knew everything about Mr. Terror, I'm sure you wouldn't be so scared of him."

"Well, I think I have the right to be scared." I gulped, remembering why this had been so important. "I can't keep living under the constant threat of being destroyed. I wish Quimby Fletcher didn't even exist."

"Then, I guess I'm the tooth fairy." We spun around to see Mort enter the store. "'Cause I'm about to grant your wish."

"Actually, the tooth fairy doesn't grant wishes." I pointed out. He frowned, realizing I was right.

"Right." He agreed. "Then how about I knock your teeth out and give you money for 'em? Am I more like the tooth fairy now?"

"A little." Dani gulped, stepping closer to Megahertz.

"So, I guess you saw my post online." Megahertz addressed Mort. The henchmen nodded, pulling out his phone.

"Yeah. I'm on that website all day. It has all the latest gossip." Mort chuckled. "It says here there's some fella called Megahertz that dresses like a girl."

"You shut your mouth!" Megahertz snapped. Mort pocketed his phone.

"Let's get this over with, Quimby Fletcher. I got a funeral to go to later." He told me. "Yours."

He leapt at us, but to my genuine surprise, Megahertz pushed Dani and I out of harm's way, and took on the henchmen himself. He grabbed Mort midair and used his momentum to help throw him all the way into the backroom. I, meanwhile, ducked behind one of the cardboard cutouts and posed so that the cardboard completely protected me. "Seriously?" Dani looked at me from her own hiding spot behind a metal rack of comic books.

Meanwhile, Megahertz had begun to shoot red balls of electricity at Mort. The overly-agile henchmen avoided them, leaping and gripping to the ceiling like a reptile. He turned his head to glare menacingly at Megahertz before spitting a few balls of goo at the villain. Megahertz carefully avoided the first goo ball, but the second one hit him in the forearm, encasing it completely and trapping the limb against the entry way doorframe.

While he was stuck, Mort raced forward and starting laying on punches to Megahertz stomach. Considering how small a guy Mort was, I was surprised to see Megahertz wince in pain with every punch. However, it wasn't like that would keep the villain from fighting back. Using his free arm, Megahertz pushed Mort back, hard enough that he toppled onto the couch, then the villain used his powers to blast the goo restraining him to pieces.

Mort began, once again, shooting goo balls at Megahertz, and that was when I realized that Dani had moved from her hiding spot. Before I could stop her, she raced over to the other end of the store, grabbed a novelty shield, and threw it towards Megahertz like a Frisbee. "Megahertz, incoming!" She called.

He caught it with one hand, and used it to deflect one of Mort's goo balls back at him. When Mort ducked to avoid his own attack, Megahertz dropped the shield and created a ball of red lightning between his hands. He shot it right at Mort before the henchmen could recover from the previous attack, smirking when it hit the henchmen right in the chest. While the blast wasn't strong enough to knock Mort out completely, it did send the henchmen running with his tail between his legs, so to speak.

"Megahertz, thank you." I looked at the villain in surprise. "You saved my life."

"Being a good guy is fun." Megahertz grinned. "You still get to destroy people, but instead of getting in trouble, you get fro-yo. By the way, you're buying me fro-yo."

"Me too, please." Dani called over her shoulder as she headed into the backroom, where Mort had fled to. I went to stop her – for all we knew, he was still hiding in there, waiting to pounce – but she stopped me with a quick reply. "He must have escaped through the back door. He's gone."

"Fro-yo can wait." I told them. "We need to get to the school and make sure Kaz and Skylar are okay."

Because last I checked, Mort had a partner, and if he wasn't here, where was he?

"Wait." Dani stepped out of the backroom, looking at a phone. She looked at me, smiling widely. "Look what Mort dropped."

"His phone?" I looked at it, stunned. This was amazing.

"We could use this to find out information about Mr. Terror." Dani practically read my mind. She fiddled with it for a second, then cursed. "Damn it. It's password locked."

"Wow, look at his lock screen." I whistled, seeing the pretty, dark haired girl on the screen. "His girlfriend's pretty."

"Ollie, that's a hostage." Dani pointed out, nodding her head at the ropes surrounding the girl's arms. Come to think of it, she did look terrified.

"Oh." I shook myself. "C'mon. We have to go find Kaz and Skylar."

 **Kaz's POV**

"I think you're wrong." Skylar insisted, glaring at me. We'd just spent the past fifteen minutes arguing about which blue button we should press, and she still wouldn't admit that she was wrong. "I think we should press this button because it looks like a key, and a key starts an engine."

"And I think we should push this button because it's closer." I retorted, gesturing at the button that had the weird, blue, flower-like symbol on it.

"Fine." Skylar threw her hands up in the air dramatically, giving up. "I don't even care anymore. Push whatever button you want."

I hesitated. What if Skylar was right? I mean, we had no way of knowing which one was right, and to be honest, I kinda wanted to press her button a bit…In the end, I decided to do what I did best – piss of Skylar. I pressed the button with the flower symbol on it, and braced myself. To my surprise, instead of our heads coming apart in a massive, bloody explosion, the entire ship began to shake roughly. It was when the dirt wall pushing against the windshield began to move did I realize that the thrusters were working.

I laughed in relief as we hit the surface. The ship was still buried in the dirt, but the sunlight shining through cracks at the top proved that we were at least close enough to climb out through the hatch. "I did it. I did it!" Skylar exclaimed in disbelief once the ship stopped moving. I stared at her.

"You did it?" I repeated. "I'm the one who pushed the right button!"

"Yeah, but I tricked you into it." Skylar explained, sounding very proud of herself. "I knew that if I said I wanted to press the first button, you would want to push the second button."

"But I was trying to trick you!" I retorted. "See, I only said that I wanted to push the second button because I really wanted to push the first one."

"Then why did you push the second button?" Skylar frowned.

"Because I got confused." I admitted. She rolled her eyes and headed started climbing up the ladder. I, on the other hand, grabbed a device out of a cubby-like section of the ship. It was long and gun-like, looking very similar to the space weapons I'd seen in comics before.

"What's that for?" Skylar questioned, pausing with her hand on the handle of the trapdoor.

"There's a villain up there trying to bury us alive. This has got to be some kind of weapon." I reasoned. Alivia was always worrying about how Dani, Oliver, and I couldn't protect ourselves. If I could figure out how to use this weapon to defend myself, and them, then maybe it would be a little weight off her shoulders.

"Why didn't you just grab the sword?" Skylar questioned, gesturing at the age old, medieval weapon sitting in the corner.

"Because this one was closer." I retorted, gesturing for her to keep going. She shook her head at me, then opened the hatch and climbed out. I followed her, but I was barely out of the hatch before Oliver, Dani, and Megahertz came into view. Wait, Megahertz?

"Guys, watch out!" Skylar shouted, lunging forward and kicking Megahertz in the chest. The villain stumbled back in surprise, but didn't try to attack her.

"Why would you do that?" He demanded. I stepped in front of Dani, who was the closest to me, holding out the ray gun I'd grabbed.

"Because you were trying to bury alive, and now you've captured Oliver and Dani!" Skylar accused.

"Skylar, we just got here." Unexpectedly, Oliver began to defend Megahertz. "Megahertz, Dee, and I were at the Domain."

"He saved our lives." Dani added, placing her hand on top of mine to get me to lower the weapon. I sighed, disappointed I didn't get to try that bad boy out, but lowered it and took her hand with my free one.

"Yeah!" Megahertz agreed, walking back over to us. "I've seen the error of my way, and I wanna follow the path of virtue and righteous…forget everything I just said." His gaze was focused on the Arcturion. He swiped it out of Skylar's hands and backed away, a greedy look on his face. "This is mine!"

"What are you doing?" Dani demanded, staring at him.

"I don't know." Megahertz replied, unable to tear his gaze away from the alien artifact. "I have no idea what this thing is, but for some reason, I have to have it."

"But I thought you said you were wearing a device that kept you from doing anything evil." Oliver protested.

"Yeah. I guess he super villainous guy lied to you. What are the odds?" Megahertz chuckled. He tried to leave, but I wasn't about to let him.

"Give me back the Arcturion." I ordered, holding the ray gun up to his face. He smirked, unfazed.

"Or what?" He challenged.

"Or this." I pressed a button on the side of it, expecting it to shoot a fireball or laser or something. Instead, I discovered that the device in my hands was not a ray gun, but rather a hair dryer. Megahertz raised an eyebrow as hot air blew onto his face.

"I have to admit, this is making my face uncomfortably warm." He told me. I sighed and tossed the hair dryer away. Skylar sprung into action and kicked the Arcturion out of Megahertz hands. I caught it as it fell, but that only made Megahertz target me.

"Oliver!" I shouted before throwing the Arcturion into the air. It flew over Megahertz's head, right into Oliver's waiting arms. Megahertz spun around, but Dani ran past him, clapping her hands twice as she went. Oliver, recognizing her signal, tossed the Arcturion past Megahertz, running past him when the villain. Dani caught the artifact with ease, but before she could throw it to another one of us, Skylar I figured, Megahertz raised his hand and surrounded the four of us with restraints made of red electricity. He forced us all together, then took the Arcturion out of Dani's hands.

"Thank you very much." He smirked at her infuriated expression. He started to tighten the restraints, but before he could really hurt us, he paused, hearing a sound. "What's that?"

I wanted so badly to laugh in delight, but I forced myself to keep a straight face as a bobcat digger came rolling towards us. Gus wasn't even looking where he was going as he drove the machine towards us, his eyes locked on his phone screen.

"It's the power of the Arcturion." Dani lied in response to Megahertz's question. He didn't have a chance to respond before the metal claw of the digger hit him in the head and he was knocked to the ground. When the electricity restraints disappeared and he didn't move to get up, even when Gus dumped the entire claw's worth of dirt on top of him, I ran over and grabbed the Arcturion.

"Hey guys." Gus grinned at us, looking up from his phone. "Sorry I left, but I ran out of dirt. I called Dirt Fry the Dirt Guy, but he was out, so I had to go to my backup dirt guy, Clark Kirk the Dirt Clerk."

"Wait, you were the one who was filling the ditch with dirt?" Skylar demanded, glaring at him. Of course, Gus couldn't have known that he nearly killed us, but still, dude, what the hell?

"That's an odd way of saying thank you." Gus commented. "So is this – Swallank loo." He said thank you again, swirling his tongue around his mouth as he did.

 **Oliver's POV**

Within the hour, we had Mighty Max prison guards down at the school to deal with Megahertz. Skylar escorted Gus out of the area, making sure he didn't realize that he'd knocked out a supervillain, while Dani and Kaz disappeared altogether. I figured that they went to hide the Arcturion, but honestly, it was just as likely that they went to make out somewhere. But since I really didn't want to think about that, I just assumed the first option, and forced myself to pay attention elsewhere.

"Please, don't send me back to jail." Megahertz begged me, just as Skylar came back. "I have to share a cell with Flesh Mangler. His stories are so boring. Spoiler alert: they all involve flesh mangling."

"Send him to Mighty Max." I ordered the guards.

"And make sure he doesn't get any fro-yo." Dani added. I turned to see her and Kaz heading back over to us, the former carrying a tray of fro-yo cups in her hands, and the latter holding his backpack.

"You guys went for fro-yo?" I demanded as the guards dragged Megahertz away. They both nodded. "Did you bring us some?"

"Duh." Dani looked at me like I was crazy before handing Skylar and I each a cup. "They only had strawberry though."

"So, where's the Arcturion?" Skylar questioned.

"Here." Kaz assured her, pulling it out of his backpack. I chuckled, amused.

"I can't believe you guys found it on your own." I told them honestly. "I was sure you'd be fighting over which switch to flip."

"And then Skylar would try to use reverse psychology, and then Kaz would get all confused." Dani added.

"What?" Skylar laughed loudly. "How could you even think that? That's not at all what happened."

"Yeah, it was a button, not a switch." Kaz agreed. Skylar hit him in the arm, though I wasn't at all surprised.

"Alright, well, until we figure out what to do with the Arcturion, we need to hide it somewhere safe." I decided. Kaz nodded, and reached for his pants. "Not in your pants." I told him. He shrugged and reach towards me. "Not in my pants." Kaz shrugged again, then turned towards Dani with a smirk on his face. "Don't even think about it."

"Fine. I'll put it in my backpack." Kaz shoved the Arcturion into his backpack, then placed it on the ground near the school doors just as I caught sight of Gus walking back towards us.

"Gus, what are you doing here? Again?" Skylar questioned.

"I forgot my bobcat." He explained. When he went to go inside the school, instead of up to his machine, I frowned.

"It's right there, Gus." I pointed it out.

"No, my other bobcat." Gus explained. A loud animalistic screech came from beyond the school's doors. "Oh, there she is. I better go. If I don't feed her on time, she wets the floor with people's innards."

"I'll help." Dani offered. I grabbed her by the arm, stopping her. "Ollie, c'mon."

"You know those things are dangerous, right?" He asked. She nodded.

"I'm not going to go near it." She told me. I raised an eyebrow.

"You really expect me to believe that if I let you go in there, you're not going to try and pet it?" I questioned. She hesitated.

"No…" She sighed.

"C'mon Dee." Kaz offered her his hand, which she took. "We should probably go check on Liv, see how she's feeling."

"You just want to brag about how we found the Arcturion without her." I accused.

"Who says we can't do both?" He asked in response, smirking as he led my sister down the road.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Alright guys, what did you guys think? Good, bad? In between? I want to know! Seriously, reviews motivate me to write for you guys! Anyway, here's the schedule for the rest of the story:**

 **December 30** **th** **– The Mother of All Villains**

 **December 31** **st** **– Childhood's End**

 **Anyway, I plan to see you guys in a few days. Until then, don't forget to review!**


	34. The Mother of All Villains

**Kihonne: Alright guys! We're at the final episode chapter – The Mother of All Villains. I know it's the chapter you've all been waiting for – I've been excited about this one for a long time. Mr. Terror is by far my favorite villain in the entire series, so that makes this episode especially fun to write. But before you read any of it, it's shoutout time!**

 **Xxx**

 **SzymonS: LOL, you're right about that. And a third chapter on time too? I'm impressed with myself. And yeah, the account pages can be confusing, as can the story sorter thing. T is usually a good rating to go with – unless you've got something seriously inappropriate in there, like graphic sex, you're usually safe with that rating. Anyway, thanks for the compliments – I'm glad you liked how Oliver was protective of Dani, especially when she's acting recklessly. As for Mort's friend, he will make an appearance, though a short one. Yes, Alivia will be back to health by time this chapter happens, so you will get to see her again. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **LabGirl2001: I'm really glad you liked the chapter. As for the bobcat scene, it would have been very funny to see. Anyway, thanks for the well wishes, and enjoy the chapter!**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: Thanks. I disagree with you about Megahertz going back to jail, but only because he was already supposed to go back. He was a criminal, after all, and he was only out in the first place because of the work duty. Even if he hadn't attacked them, he would still be going back to jail. Though, since he did as he was asked, Oliver/Dani should have reduced his prison sentence as they agreed. I'm not sure if I'll ever bring the topic back up again – as you know, Megahertz isn't in any more episodes, so I can't guarantee I'll write him into the original chapter – but for the sake of decency, I'd like to believe that they would have followed through with their promise of reducing his sentence. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **FangirlIsh13: Thanks so much, you too! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter so much. And yes, all hell is going to break loose soon (I don't consider hell much of a swear word, so don't worry about using it with me), perhaps sooner than you think. There is, after all, this chapter, and the next chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, on with the chapter!**

 **Alivia: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns me, Dani, Barry, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kaz's POV**

"Okay, we can not let the Arcturion get into the wrong hands." Oliver announced, leading us into Mighty Med. "Kaz, you hide it somewhere safe. Skylar, Liv, you call the clean-up crew to get the spaceship and bring it here. Dee, call Calla and see if she can break into Mort's phone remotely."

"Why I have to do any work?" I complained. I looked at Oliver. "I feel like you don't respect my laziness."

"Kaz, just help." Dani told me. "We have a million things to do today, and it would really be appreciated."

"Well, why isn't Oliver doing anything?" I protested.

"I have to go get extensions put in before my mom's wedding tomorrow." He explained.

"You're getting hair extensions?" Skylar frowned.

"No, leg extensions." My best friend clarified. "Mother wants me to be taller for the wedding photos."

"See ya in a few." Dani called after him. She pulled out her phone, holding Mort's phone in her other hand. "I'm gonna see what Calla can do for us."

She walked away while dialing, leaving me, Alivia, and Skylar to deal with Arcturion. "I'm just going to put it in the vault safe." I decided. Alivia reached up to remove the painting of the bridge that hid the vault from sight.

"Hey, how're you feeling, by the way?" Skylar asked the red-head as I inputted the code.

"Better." Alivia smiled at her gratefully. "I think I just needed a sick day."

"We all need one of those from time to time." I assured her, placing my entire backpack in the safe. "So, speaking of the wedding, you're coming, right? I know Oliver and Dani were only allowed one date each, but…"

"I'll be there." She assured us. "Alan invited me and Jaime, and Horace invited a number of the superheroes, so we'll have enough backup in case Mr. Terror shows his ugly face. I'm pretty sure Spotlight will be there, and I've already briefed him on what's going on."

"Cool." I nodded. We'd all be on edge because of the Mr. Terror thing, but Oliver was stressing about it the most, enough that Dani was convinced he was just one more attack away from completely freaking out. Having that much protection at the wedding might get him to relax long enough to actually enjoy it.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Wow, this place is actually nice." Dani commented as we walked towards Mom and Horace's suite at the hotel Mom had insisted on booking for the wedding. We were both dressed and ready for the wedding – me in my tuxedo and Dee in the red, sleeveless dress Mom had let her pick out. I was surprised when Dani had told me that, but I'm not sure if it was because she chose an actual pretty, non-superhero themed dress for the wedding, or because Mom trusted her to choose the dress in the first place. But, lately they'd both been getting along in a way I'd never seen, so I chose not to comment on it.

"Still no response from Calla?" I asked as Dani checked her phone again. She shook her head slowly, careful not to mess up the curls that Mom had put in her hair this morning. It was a little strange, I had to admit, to see her bangs brushed out of her face.

"I tried earlier, but her voicemail message said she was in some place called Davenportia?" She shrugged. I frowned, and she shook her head helplessly. "I don't know. And I have no idea when she's getting back."

"Oh, Oliver, Danica, good. You're here." Mom gushed when we stepped into the hotel room. "We're having a bit of a crisis."

"Don't worry, it's totally normal to have wedding-day jitters." I reassured her.

"Oh, I'm not the one with jitters." Mom glanced back at the bathroom. Horace ran out of the washroom, wrapped in a bathrobe. There was a towel wrapped around his head as he stared in horror at his reflection in a handheld mirror.

"Kids, don't look at me!" He cried. "I have hair all over my face!"

"That's your goatee. You've always had that." I pointed out. He stared at me.

"And you let me walk around like this?" Horace demanded.

"You see what I'm dealing with?" Mom sighed. "Now, there's still a lot to do before the wedding, so I'll need you two and Alan t help with a few important errands."

"Consider it done, future Mom." Alan assured her, walking out of the bathroom. He was nibbling on a piece of white soap. "I'm here for you, and for these delicious white chocolates."

"Those are hand soaps." Mom told him. He frowned, wrinkling his nose as he stared down at the white, circular object.

"Oh no." Horace gasped. "Because of the stress, one eyebrow's higher than the other!"

"Then just lower it." Dani told him, a confused look on her face. He lowered the heightened eyebrow, but the other one shot straight up, higher than the other one had been.

"You just made it worse!" He accused. He ran into the bedroom, my Mom following him with an exasperated look on her face. Suddenly, Dani's purse, a small red one that she'd borrowed from Alivia, began to ring. She glanced down at it, using her hands to try and muffle the sound.

"Why don't you answer that?" Alan questioned, frowning. Dani and I exchanged looks.

"It's not my phone." She slowed pulled the phone out of her purse. "Look, keep this quiet, but we need to unlock this phone ASAP."

"It belongs to a villain who's after me.' I explained. "But we need the password."

"Have you tried 'sweater vest'?" Alan offered, trying to be helpful. Dani frowned.

"No, but is that your password?" She questioned.

"No." He retorted after a moment, but his hesitation gave him away.

"Gus!" Dani clapped her hands together suddenly. She turned to me. "Remember how, when Skylar first started coming to school with us, and I gave her my old cell phone? Well, it had been a while since I used it, and I couldn't remember the password, but Gus was able to figure it out. I mean, it took him a couple of days, but that would usually take me a week."

"Worth a shot." I pulled out my phone and sent him a quick text. "I'll have him meet us at the Domain."

"Good. I'll let Kaz, and the others know as well." Dani offered, grabbing her own phone and sending out a mass text. I looked at Alan.

"Don't tell our Mom or Horace about any of this." I told Alan. "I don't want them more stressed than they already are."

"Yeah. You got it." Alan assured us. I looked at Dani.

"Let's go." I told her. She nodded and headed out the door, slowing down to let me keep up.

 **Kaz's POV**

"Hey, Dani texted." Jaime announced, walking into Mighty Med with Alivia just behind her. The blonde frowned as she stepped past the large, high-tech part of the spaceship, though Alivia, who'd already seen it, didn't pay it much attention.

"I know." I replied, leaning against the counter in the ER. I'd just read her text, actually. Apparently, she thought that Gus could help with the phone situation, and she needed us to meet her at the Domain in twenty minutes.

"Hey, you get Dani's text?" Skylar questioned, walking up. I looked up to greet her, but blinked in surprise when I saw that her face was covered in a thick layer of green goo.

"You look nice." I commented. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm getting ready for the wedding." She explained. "But first, I need to put on my face mask."

"What's that green thing?" Jaime questioned, as confused as I was.

"Oh, this is my actual face." Skylar informed us, gesturing at the green goo. "What you see every day is a mask."

Jaime and I both stared at her, almost disgusted. I mean, I'd seen weirder, but still…this might be something Oliver needed to know, if he was so determined that they would end up together.

"I'm kidding." Skylar laughed, amused. "I may have three bladders, but I don't have a hideous green face."

To prove her point, she reached up to her face and peeled off her green face mask.

"What is this?" Philip, the large headed nurse, questioned as he noticed the device. He looked at Skylar. "And why'd you take that green mask off? You look so much prettier with it on."

"It's an engine of an alien spaceship that was buried underneath Logan High." Alivia explained. "The ship was too big to move all at once."

"Yeah, the rest of the ship is in the garage." I added. "We parked it in Tecton's spot. The guy can fly; why he needs a moped, I have no idea."

"This spaceship…" Philip frowned. "Did it, by chance, have a pyramid in it with a glowing Arcturion inside?"

"You've heard of the Arcturion?" We all stared at him, shocked.

"It's a long story." Philip began.

"Ugh, then never mind." Jaime grumbled.

"A thousand years ago," Philip continued as if she'd never spoken, "scientists from my home planet, Baaaaahh, created the Arcturion as a power source, but they decided it was too dangerous for anyone to possess, so they designed a spaceship to launch the Arcturion into the nearest yellow sun, yours, and I flew that spaceship."

"You were the pilot they trusted most, out of all the people on Baaaaahh?" I questioned, impressed. I'd always thought of Philip as kinda useless, and a little annoying. But if he was considered this important on his planet, maybe I'd misjudged him.

"Actually, I was the janitor." Philip admitted. "When I was cleaning the spaceship, I accidently launched it…when I was fooling with the controls, pretending I was a space captain."

He sounded pretty ashamed, so I felt like I should cheer him up. "Hey, man, we have all been there before, right? Vroom-vroom. Pyew, pyew…"

"Enough!" Jaime cut me off before I could continue.

"You were saying, Philip?" Alivia urged the nurse to continue.

"Right." Philip nodded. "So, the ship went off course and it went spiraling down. I was able to eject safely before it crashed, but I've always thought that the Arcturion was lost forever."

"Man, those scientists must have been pretty mad after they found out what you did." I chuckled.

"Yeah, but I was already an outcast back on Baaaaahh. You know, because of my embarrassingly tiny head."

"Sure." Skylar, Alivia, and I had heard that part of the story a number times, but Jaime looked as confused as ever.

"Anyway, I was banished forever and forced to wander this city for the last ten centuries." Philip finished.

"Wait." Suddenly, I had an idea. "What if we can somehow repair this spaceship's ending? Then Philip can fly the Arcturion into the sun, destroying it once and for all."

"Yes." Philip grinned at the idea. "If I complete this mission, I can return to my planet as a hero. It's time to make you proud, President Headly."

"Let me guess. He was elected because of the size of his head?" Alivia guessed.

"In spite of it." Philip corrected, showing her a picture of a man with a head at least twice the size of his. "He has the second-smallest head on my planet."

 **Oliver's POV**

"He's late." Dani commented, glancing her phone as she sat on the arm of the couch in the Domain.

"He said he'd be here, didn't he?" Barry questioned, from where he stood behind the counter. I pulled out my phone in annoyance, and dialed Gus' number. To my frustration, the call went to voicemail.

"Gus, I'm waiting in the Domain. Hurry." I told him, just as Dani's phone rang. She picked it up.

"Hey Mom." She greeted. She frowned, then stood up suddenly. "No, we're not at that silly comic book store. I'm nowhere near that 'ugly' sofa, or those 'pathetic cardboard superheroes'." She looked at me, a slightly guilty look on her face.

"Speaker." I told her. She nodded and pressed the button. "Hey Mom." I said, letting her know that I was here too.

"Where are you? The wedding is in two hours." She reminded us.

"Mom, the truth is…" I glanced at Dani. She was always a better liar than I was, and though that did bother me, it did occasionally come in handy.

"We're picking up a very special gift that we got you and Horace for your wedding." She gave me a shrug.

"That is so sweet." Mom cooed. "You know, I was worried that you two were unhappy I was remarrying, or that you didn't like Horace, but I'm so glad you approve. It means everything to me."

"Of course, Mom." "We're happy for you." We assured her.

"We'll be back at the hotel soon." I added.

"I can't wait to see your gift." Mom gushed. "Just remember what I've always told you; it's not the gift that counts, it's how much it costs."

 **Kaz's POV**

"Nice vest." I chuckled, smirking at Spotlight's apparel. About half the people in Mighty Med were at least partially dressed for the wedding.

"It's all I had. Horace invited me last minute – otherwise, I would have found a suit or something." He explained as we headed into the ER. Jaime, Alivia, and Skylar, the latter two finishing their hair while the first had already moved onto her makeup. Philip, on the other hand, was standing near the spaceship engine, a pile of nuts and bolts sitting at his feet.

"Philip, I thought you said you were almost done." I looked at him questioningly. "What's with all those loose parts?"

"These aren't loose parts. On my planet, this is food." Philip replied grabbing a handful. He offered Spotlight and I each one. "Want some?"

"No thanks. I'm trying to cut down on junk." I replied. Spotlight shook his head and leaned on the edge of the counter.

"Geminus, Spark. How are my two favorite ladies?" He smirked charmingly at them. The two girls looked at each other, then rolled their eyes in sync.

"Hello, Liam." Jaime smirked at him. Alivia raised an eyebrow.

"Your real name is Liam?" She inquired. Spotlight sent Jaime a half-hearted glare before smirking at Alivia.

"Yes. Now, I don't recall you ever telling me your real name…" He looked at her. She laughed, not answered. "Oh, come on. Don't make me guess."

"Actually, that sounds more fun." She replied, a light in her eyes. "Guess my name, and I'll…"

"Give me every number of every girl you know who's currently single." He insisted.

"Really?" Jaime looked at him. He shrugged.

"What? I gotta have options." He replied. "And challenge accepted…Sarah?"

"Nope." Alivia smirked, popping the P sound.

"I did it!" Philip exclaimed suddenly. We all turned to look at him. "I fixed the ship's engine. Oh, just think, in five minutes, I'll be all-" He began to make spaceship noise.

"Would you stop?" Jaime complained.

"I'll get the Arcturion." Skylar offered, heading over to the safe to retrieve my backpack.

"Uh, before you go, I'm just gonna open the case, touch the orb, and get super powers real quick." I told Philip. I figured, if it was a power source, touching it should give me super powers, right? I mean, radiation is a source of power, and Spiderman got his powers through being bitten by a radioactive spider. The concept should be the same, right?

"No, no, you can't. You can't open it." Philip told me sternly. "Any mortal who tries to hold the Arcturion will perish."

"Why are cool things always so dangerous?" I complained. "Arcturions, chainsaws, kettle corn."

"How is kettle corn dangerous?" Alivia questioned, frowning.

"You always end up eating the whole bag." I replied. Duh.

"He's right, baby." Jaime agreed.

"Here." Skylar handed me my backpack. I opened it up and reached inside, but to my surprise, instead of gripping the sharp edges of a glass pyramid, my hand closed around what felt like a plastic jar. When I removed the object, I realized that the only thing in the backpack was a large jar of mayonnaise.

"Oh no. This is Gus' backpack. He must have taken mine by mistake." I realized in horror.

"How?" Jaime frowned.

"They have the same backpack." Alivia explained.

"And somehow, I keep forgetting that, despite the fact that every time I see him, he yells 'hey, backpack twin!'." I added.

"We need to find Gus and get your backpack back." Alivia stood up.

"Hey, Philip, we need to run out for a minute." Jaime let the nurse know as we all headed for the door.

"Oh, can you pick up some motor oil?" Philip requested. Spotlight frowned.

"Uh, why? Are you thirsty?" He questioned, confused.

"No. I need to lubricate the engine." Philip stared at the hero. "What kind of freak drinks motor oil?"

"Yeah, Liam." Alivia teased. Clearly, she liked the fact that she knew his name, but he didn't know hers. I guess it made her feel superior or something.

"Is it Mary?" Spotlight questioned as we headed out the door.

"Not even close!" She laughed.

 **Oliver's POV**

"Finally." Dani sighed. I turned to see Gus outside the door to the Domain.

"What took you so long?" I demanded when he walked in.

"I've been running as fast as I can for the last half hour." Gus defended himself. "Then I realized I was on a treadmill in the gym."

I shook my head. "Never mind. We need you to help us get into this phone."

Dani handed Gus the phone. He turned it over in his hands for a moment, then looked at us. "Do you have a microwave?" He asked.

"No…" Dani frowned. Gus sighed.

"So much for heating up this ravioli." He pulled the container of pasta out of his backpack, looking disappointed. He tossed the backpack on the couch. He thought for a moment. "Do you have any parmesan cheese?"

"Stop with the ravioli!" I snapped. Gus stared at me.

"It's not for the ravioli. I need it to unlock your phone." He told me, shaking his head as he headed past Barry and into the back.

"Why the heck is my standee fifty percent off?" We turned around to see Skylar, Kaz, Alivia, Jaime, and Spotlight behind us.

"When did you guys get here?" I questioned, having not noticed them walk in.

"Like, three seconds ago." Kaz replied, grabbing Gus' backpack and replacing it with his own.

"Let me guess, you guys switched backpacks again?" Dani looked at Kaz, smirking.

"Maybe…" He admitted.

"So, you guys hid the Arcturion somewhere safe, right?" I questioned, double checking.

"Totally." Jaime told me, nodding a little too eagerly.

"So, has Gus unlocked Mort's phone yet?" Alivia questioned.

"He literally just got here. It could be a while." Dani replied.

"What a day." I sighed. I glanced at my sister. "And after this, I have to go shopping."

"Oh, great. For a minute, I thought you were going to wear that tie clip." Skylar sighed in relief. I frowned, surprised by the looks of agreement on everyone's faces.

"Not shopping for me." I replied, hurt. "Dee and I haven't bought our Mom a wedding gift, and I feel terrible."

"We feel terrible." Dani corrected. Spotlight grabbed the Skylar Storm standee off the shelf and handed it to me.

"Give her this; it's half off." He suggested, trying to be helpful. I chuckled, then placed it back on the shelf.

"Thanks, but no thanks." I told him. "Anyway, I'm really glad you hid the Arcturion, because now that is's unburied, it'll probably attract more villains than ever."

"Guys." Gus walked out of the back. "Here you go. I unlocked your phone."

"What was the password?" Dani questioned, taking the phone from him.

"Mort." Gus replied. We looked at him, surprised. Really? "It's always the first thing I try."

He grabbed his real backpack and slung it over his shoulder. "See ya later, backpack twin!" He called to Kaz as he left. I turned to Dani, intending on getting her to find Mr. Terror's contact information, but she was already going through the phone.

"No information whatsoever." She glanced at me, an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry, Ollie."

"Try his emails." I suggested.

"Uh, guys?" Barry suddenly spoke up, standing up. He pointed past us.

"That's not good." Skylar commented as we turned around. Just outside the door stood five villains, all of whom I recognized. The first was Mort's new henchmen partner, the second was Slaughter Master, then Soul Slayer, the Incinerator, and finally Nightstrike, Jaime's own nemesis.

"Don't panic, guys. I have an idea." Kaz assured us. He walked up to the door and quickly changed the OPEN sign around so that it read CLOSED on the bad guys' side of the glass. "That was close."

Unsurprisingly, the villains didn't obey the sign, and walked right in. "Can you not read?" I questioned. "We're closed."

"Close your eyes!" Spotlight ordered, raising his hand. I did as I was told, but even behind my closed lids, I could tell that he had flashed a spotlight across the entire room. I felt someone, Dani I think, grab my arm and we all raced into the back, and through the emergency door into the alley behind them. "That might buy us a minute or so."

"Crap, the alley's too small for me to duplicate in. We'd been too crowded." Alivia muttered, worried.

"Then let's run and fight them later." Barry suggested. He started towards the end of the alley, but skidded to a stop when the Incinerator, the henchmen, and Soul Slayer stepped out in front of him. I turned to go back towards the store, but Slaughter Master and Nightstrike walked through the emergency door.

"Give us the Arcturion." Slaughter Master ordered.

"We don't have the Arcturion! It's safely hidden away in…" Then, it dawned on me. I walked over to Kaz. "You have the Arcturion, don't you."

"Yes." He admitted. "But in my defense, I had lost it up until, like, three minutes ago."

Nightstrike, unwilling to converse, swung his bo staff at Kaz. Jaime reacted first, shooting a ball of electricity at her nemesis. Spotlight helped her out, using his powers to blind her enemy. Skylar, on the other hand, took on Slaughter Master alone, using her unnatural agility to dodge his fists and get in a few kicks and punches of her own. Alivia and Barry handled the henchmen, the latter distracting the giant man by pelting him with trash, and the former using the man's size against him by targeting low and moving faster than he could.

However, that left both the Incinerator and Soul Slayer to us. Dani immediately armed herself with pieces of a broken pipe that no one had ever bothered to fix, launching the first one at the Incinerator. Unfortunately, it missed, but I followed her lead, grabbing an old crate from the ground and throwing it at Soul Slayer. While he did avoid it by teleporting away, it did hit the Incinerator right in the head. The blow knocked the girl to the ground, where Kaz shoved a garbage can over her head, successfully trapping her where she sat.

Kaz, Dani, and I tried to get back to the others, but just as we neared them, Skylar knocked Slaughter Master backwards, accidently sending him right in our direction. He recovered from the blow quickly, quick enough to grab Kaz as we ran by. "Hey!" Dani shouted, gripping another metal pole like a bat and slamming it into Slaughter Master's back. He stumbled under the blow, enough for Kaz to get away and for Skylar to reach our side.

"Where's Soul Slayer?" She demanded.

"Never mind that! Incinerator!" I exclaimed, seeing the pyrokinetic villain get back to her feet. She glared at us, then opened her mouth, releasing a burst of flames in our direction. Kaz, Dani, and I dropped behind a dumpster, while Skylar leapt into the air, grabbing onto the rails of a fire escape. Meanwhile, Alivia had moved onto using a pair of trash can lids as both shields and weapons, while Nightstrike and Soul Slayer had begun to team up to take on Jaime and Spotlight.

"Skylar!" I shouted as the Incinerator tried once again to blast her full of fire. Skylar swung off the rail like it was a gymnast's pole, and landed in the dumpster we were hiding behind. Kaz grabbed the last metal pole out of my sister's hands and swung it hard against a steam pipe next to us. He burst a hole in it and it spewed a stream of steam outwards and right into the Incinerator's face.

"Ah!" Jaime cried out as Slaughter Master knocked her off her feet. She landed hard on her front, knocking the air out of her.

"Jaime!" Alivia exclaimed, rushing to her side. Spotlight grabbed both girls by their arms and pulled them backwards, behind him, just as Barry ran up to meet us. The villains started to surround us, not leaving us with many options of escape.

"Okay, okay. Don't panic, I have an idea." Kaz told us. He approached the villains slowly. "Hey, hi. How's it going?"

"Your boyfriend is an idiot." Jaime hissed to my sister.

"Sometimes." Dani agreed.

"So, uh, I have the Arcturion. You want the Arcturion. So, uh…here you go." He slipped the backpack off his back and dumped in in front of all the villains before scurrying back to us. He placed himself right at the edge of the dumpster, still standing between us and the villains, but close enough that he could hide behind the dumpster if the villains attacked.

"Kaz!" Alivia shouted as the villains approached the bag.

"At last!" Slaughter Master smiled. "Ultimate power is mine!"

"Over my dead body." Nightstrike retorted.

"That can be arranged." Mr. Terror's henchmen commented. Before we knew it, all five villains were attacking each other. In seconds, they managed to knock each other out, leaving us with several unconscious villains and the Arcturion.

"Kaz, that was brilliant." Spotlight complimented him. Dani smiled, kissed Kaz on the cheek, then darted past him to grab the backpack. "How'd you know that would work?"

"I have eleven brothers and sisters." Kaz said in way of explanation. "This is exactly what happens every time there's one slice of pizza left."

 **Kaz's POV**

After we escaped the villains, Spotlight and Barry offered to go with the twins back to the hotel (the former for protecting and the latter because he couldn't come to Mighty Med with us) while Jaime, Skylar, Alivia, and I went back to Mighty Med to deliver the Arcturion back to Philip.

"Philip, we're back!" I called as we walked into Mighty Med. To our surprise, Alan was there. "Alan, why aren't you at the hotel?"

"I'm trying to find a wedding gift for Bridget and my Uncle Horace. I need to outdo Dani and Oliver so that I can be the family favorite." He explained before disappearing down a hallway near the door.

"Philip!" I called once more. The alien came walking out of the rec room, dressed in a green and black flight suit. "There you are."

"We've got the Arcturion, but you need to destroy it right away. It's starting to attract every villain on the planet." Jaime added as I pulled the pyramid out of my bag. I placed it on the ER counter before facing the man.

"I'm ready to go." Philip assured us. "I'll leave Earth, launch the Arcturion into the sun, thereby destroying it, and return as the greatest hero in the history of Baaaaahh."

"Philip, thank you so much." Alivia told him. "I wish I had the words to express how grateful I feel, but I don't."

"Oh, I know!" I smirked. "Later, fool!"

"No, Geminus, thank Kaz. For making it so much easier for me to leave." He glared at me pointedly. Skylar laughed good naturedly.

"C'mon, Philip, you know you love us." She told him, opening her arms to all of us. "Let's hug it out. C'mon."

"Fine." Philip grumbled, the five of us coming in for a group hug. We pulled away after a long, long moment. "I'd better get going. I just have to say goodbye to all my friends." He paused. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Wait. Where's the Arcturion?" Skylar demanded, pushing past us. To my shock, the Arcturion was nowhere to be seen.

"It was here just a minute ago." Alivia commented, going behind the counter to check under it while Skylar searched my backpack.

"I don't know…check your mouth!" I snapped my fingers at Philip. "Did you eat it?"

"Why would I eat it?" He retorted, offended.

"Why not? Twenty minutes ago you were eating a bag of nails!" I exclaimed, exasperated.

"This was my one chance to be a hero! How could you do this to me?" Philip cried. He looked at me, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "And after I hugged you guys! I feel so dirty!"

Suddenly, my phone beeped. I pulled it out, sighing when I read the text message.

 **From: Dani**

 **Where are you? The wedding starts in 30 minutes!**

"The wedding starts in 30 minutes." I told the others. "Dee's wondering where we are."

"They can not find out about this." Alivia stated. "The last thing Oliver and Dani need to be worrying about right now is the missing Arcturion."

"She's right." I turned to Philip. "You keep looking for the Arcturion. We have to go change and get to Horace's wedding."

"What? You were invited? I thought no one from work was!" He exclaimed. Oops, guess Horace didn't invite everyone from Mighty Med like I thought. What didn't help was when Gamma Girl walked from the rec room to the exit, leading along the Mighty Med's only mannequin security guard on roller skates. "Even Henderson was invited?"

"Well, actually, he's Gamma Girl's date." Skylar explained. "She likes the strong, silent type."

 **Oliver's POV**

"They said they'll be here soon." I told Dani after reading the text I got from Alivia. She nodded and pushed open the door to the hotel room. I carried our present in my hands. "Oh, hey Alan."

"Don't 'hey Alan' me!" The boy snapped, glaring at the present in my hands.

"Okay. Hello Alan." Dani drew out the 'o' sound, smirking a bit.

"That's better." Alan nodded at her before glaring at us once more. "Anyway, I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to become the favorites by buying our parents' affection. But it won't work, because my gift is way better than yours."

"What'd you get them?" I asked, curious. Dani and I couldn't really think of anything really special, so we got them some expensive pens. Mom liked having fancy things around her office to show off how much richer she was than her employees, and Horace was always losing his pens (or rather, Kaz was always taking them without asking), so we knew they'd at least be useful to both of them.

"Come closer and I'll whisper it in your ears." Alan encouraged us. We leaned in close. "I'M NOT TELLING!"

"Got it." Dani muttered, wincing. Alan stormed from the room, pushing past Kaz, Skylar, and Alivia as they walked in. Kaz was in his suit, Skylar was in a beautiful, dark grey, sleeveless dress and Alivia was wearing a short-sleeved, dark green dress with flowers etched into the fabric. "There you guys are."

"Spotlight, Barry, and Jaime are downstairs." Alivia told us. "You guys get your mom's gift?"

"Yeah, but we still haven't found the contact info for Mr. Terror." Dani replied, looking down at the phone in her hands.

"Give me that phone!" We all jumped as Mom came up behind me. "I'm collecting phones from all the wedding guests so no one gets distracted."

Dani and I obediently placed our phones in the basket. Mom moved onto the Kaz, who was busy texting someone. She cleared her throat and he looked up. "What's up?" He asked. She rolled her eyes and plucked the phone from his hands, dropping it in the basket she carried. She stepped over to Skylar, who gently placed her phone on top of Kaz's. Mom frowned, studying her for a moment.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"She's my-" I began to answer, but Skylar cut me off.

"Friend." She said quickly. "We're just friends. This is certainly not a date. That was the agreement."

Mom raised an eyebrow, then turned to Alivia. "Alivia." She greeted. I smirked – Alivia was probably the only one of me and Dani's friends that Mom actually approved of, probably because the red-head was ridiculously polite to adults.

"Well, I'm thrilled you're here." Mom told our friends. "This is an important day for me, Oliver, and Danica, and it's nice for my children to have friends by their sides." She sighed as she placed the basket of phones down on the table near the gifts. "Even Kaz."

She walked back into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. "'Even Kaz'?" Kaz repeated. He looked at us, stunned. "Wow! Your mom knows my name. Usually she just calls me 'that one'."

"I told you. She's actually trying to have a good relationship with me, and I guess part of that means acknowledging that my boyfriend has a name." Dani smiled brightly. She looked at me. "I'm seriously impressed. I didn't think she'd try so hard."

"Well, you haven't started an argument with her once since you guys talked, so it's definitely two ways there." I told her, sincerely proud that my mother and sister were attempting to fix things between them. Suddenly, one of the phones in the basket started to ring. Dani jumped up to answer it. "Dani!"

"It's Mort's phone! It could be Mr. Terror." She hissed before reaching for it. "Dang it! Missed the call!"

"Maybe there's a voicemail?" Alivia suggested.

"Liv, we're talking about a murderous villain seeking world domination." I reminded her. "There's no way he's going to leave a message."

"He left a message." Dani spoke up. I turned to look at her, surprised.

"What?" I questioned.

"He left a message." She repeated herself. "Listen."

She played it on speaker phone. _"Mort, this is your last chance."_ The voice was obviously disguised, but it sounded deep and menacing none the less. _"Bring me Quimby Fletcher's body in a box. And if he doesn't fit, fold him up like a taco so he does fit."_

I gulped nervously as the message ended. "That doesn't sound fun." I murmured, trying not to freak out. This Mr. Terror really wanted me, and he didn't care how he got me.

"Hey." Skylar put her hand on my arm. "Remember, you've got me, Liv, Jaime, Spotlight, and at least half a dozen other superheroes downstairs ready to protect you. Nothing bad is going to happen on our watch."

"Right." I nodded, smiling at her.

"You have to call him back." Kaz suggested. "Then we can find out more about him."

"Kaz, I'm sure Mr. Terror's phone is blocked. He's an evil mastermind. There's no way he's just gonna let you ring him up-" Dani tugged on my jacket sleeve. She had the phone held up to her ear.

"It's ringing." She whispered. Suddenly, one of the phones in the basket began to ring. Mom walked out of the bedroom, just as Dani dropped Mort's phone to her lap, trying to hide it.

"My phone." She explained, picking up the ringing phone. "Oh, it's just one of my employees, Mort."

She said something, something about voicemail, but I stopped listening the moment she said the name 'Mort'. No. No, no, no. No way could Mort be her employee. No way could my mom be…

"Your mom is Mr. Terror." Alivia looked at us, shocked.

"No." Dani shook her head. "No way."

"My mom cannot be Mr. Terror." I found my voice. "Villains don't put squeezable yogurts in their kids' lunch boxes."

"Ollie's right. I mean, Mom is evil," Dani admitted, "but she's not evil-evil."

"Look through her purse." Skylar suggested, ignoring me and Dani's protests. "It's the best way to learn everything about a woman."

"Fine. If it'll prove it to you." Dani got up and grabbed Mom's purse.

"It's just a regular mom purse. There's nothing in there but keys, a wallet…" I trailed off as Dani began to slowly pull items out.

"A mask. A voice modulator." Her hands shook as she continued. "A sticky note that says…'destroy Quimby Fletcher'." She looked at me. "Ollie?"

"You mother's evil, Oliver." Skylar looked at me sympathetically. "You have to face the truth."

"I don't believe this." I sat down on the couch, confused. How could my own mother want to destroy me?

"We have to get the Arcturion before she does." Skylar said to Alivia.

"You guys already have the Arcturion." Dani reminded them. They all exchanged looks.

"Actually, we may have lost it again." Kaz admitted sheepishly.

"Kaz!" Dani's voice raised an octave, revealing how upset she was. Suddenly, the door to the hotel opened up and Gus walked in.

"Sorry I'm late." He apologized. "You would not believe how evil my mother is. Just because Frederick is out sick, she made me walk my own giraffe! I swear that woman is trying to kill me!"

"#FirstWorldProblems." Alivia muttered.

"Look, Gus, not now." Skylar told him, attempting to physically remove him from the room. However, he refused to budge.

"Anyway, I wasn't sure what wedding present to get your mom, so I got her everything." Gus continued as if she'd never spoken. He clapped his hands together, and a number of manservants walked in, carrying mounds of white wrapped wedding presents. They placed them carefully on the ground at our feet. "Well, I better go take my seat. I'll se you guys down there."

Alan walked in just as Gus was leaving. His eyes popped when he saw the massive amount of gifts. "Did Gus just bring all these presents?" He demanded, shocked.

"Yes, but can you leave? We're in the middle of something!" I snapped.

"I don't care what Gus brought, because I got them the best present ever: a cool, glowing sphere inside a glass pyramid." Alan declared. We all stared at him.

"What?" We all demanded in unison. Alan grinned.

"Exactly!" He beamed. "When our mom sees it, she's gonna be, like, 'Whaaat?!' and I'm going to be, like, 'oh yeah!' and you two are going to be, like, 'Wah!'."

"Alan, describe exactly how you wrapped your present." Kaz demanded, looking at the black haired boy seriously.

"In white paper with a silver bow. I really wanted it to stand out." He told us. We all glanced at the pile of presents Gus had brought in. Each and every one of them were wrapped in white wrapping paper with silver bows. They were practically identical.

"Are you ready?" My mom's voice startled me. I let out a surprised scream when I saw her standing there, a mere two feet away. "Why are you screaming, dear? Did you catch yourself in your zipper again?"

"No!" I retorted quickly.

"Um…" Even Dani seemed to have trouble thinking of what to say. "It's bad luck for…the bride to see her children before the wedding."

 **Kaz's POV**

"Oliver, Danica, Alan, come take your places." Bridget instructed. "The wedding is about to start."

Bridget and Horace led the way, Alan right behind them and the twins trailing behind.

"Unwrap all the presents until you find the Arcturion." Oliver ordered, staying behind a moment. I nodded.

"Be careful." I told them. I didn't really know why – Bridget was there mother, would she really hurt them? But then again, she was also the fiercest supervillain in the world. Dani gave me a reassuring smile as Oliver looped his arm around hers, and the siblings made their way down stairs.

"Okay." I started pulling off the tops of boxes, trying to find the Arcturion.

"Wow." I commented as I reached into one box to remove the gift.

"You found the Arcturion?" Alivia questioned, looking up from the box she had opened.

"No, these hand towels are really soft." I replied, pulling out the soft, white towels.

"Kaz, stop fooling around and-" I placed the towels in Skylar's hands and her lecture stopped as quickly as it had begun. "Wow, these are soft."

 **Alan's POV**

"Alright, Oliver, Alan, you two go on ahead with Horace. Danica, as my maid of honor, you will stay here with me." Bridget told us. Dani turned to face her mother, her eyes wide.

"Huh?" She demanded.

"We talked about this dear, at the rehearsal dinner?" Bridget reminded her. She nodded at us. "Go on ahead."

"Don't leave me alone with her." Dani whispered, grabbing Oliver by the wrist with a desperate, almost scared look in her eyes. He gave her an apologetic look, but clearly had to leave with us. I smirked – why was I so worried that I wouldn't be the favorite? Sure, Uncle Horace liked those two more than me, but despite how they'd been acting lately, Bridget and Dani clearly still had some issues, and Oliver would probably pick Dani over his mother, leaving me as her favorite kid. I felt silly, having worried about this for a while now.

"Alan, what's your friend/comic book agent doing here?" Uncle Horace asked quickly, noticing that Gus was standing on the stage that Bridget and Uncle Horace were supposed to officially get married on.

"The Justice of the Peace cancelled at the last minute: something about finding me loathsome and repellent." I explained. "But as your best man, I acted quickly and found a replacement."

"Can you even legally do this?" Uncle Horace asked Gus hesitantly. "I'm not questioning your experience, it's just, you know, you're sixteen."

"Don't worry, I'm a licensed wedding officiant." Gus assured him, just as he had assured me. "I'm also a licensed mortician, a licensed plumber, and I can even do your taxes. Although, I probably shouldn't, because I'm not licensed for that."

"Alan," Uncle Horace turned to me, beaming proudly. "Thank you for coming through as my best man. You're like the nephew I always wanted…to force to pretend to be my son."

I smiled, grateful for the rare compliment, and hugged my uncle tightly. Oliver, on the other hand, looked so nervous for a moment I was concerned he might drop. Then, the music began to play and everyone stood up as Dani stepped out of the curtains, carrying a bouquet of flowers in her hands. She walked the length of the aisle and stepped up onto the stage, choosing to squeeze in between Oliver and I, as her mother began to walk down the aisle herself.

 **Kaz's POV**

"That's the last one, I'm pretty sure." Alivia announced, dumping the contents of the final box onto the ground. Unfortunately, we still hadn't found the Arcturion.

"Where's the Arcturion?" Skylar questioned, confused.

"I don't know." I admitted. "But we have to search the rest of the hotel."

"Wait!" Alivia stopped us, pulling a pyramid-shaped present out from under the pile of already opened gifts. We must have missed it. "This must be it."

She tore open the wrapping paper, but all it was underneath was a bun pan sitting in a transparent, plastic pyramid-shaped box. "A bun pan?"

"I got them the same thing." Skylar sighed in disappointment.

 **Alan's POV**

"Welcome everyone!" Gus declared once everyone was sitting again. "My name is Gus, and I'll be officiating this wedding today."

To everyone's surprise, Gus then pulled off his jacket and tie, revealing a black and white striped referee shirt underneath. We all stared at him as he put on a white baseball cap, the blew into a whistle.

"What are you doing?" Uncle Horace demanded.

"Officiating." Gus replied. "Let's make this quick, because after this, I need to officiate a pee-wee football game. Now," he cleared his throat, drawing his attention back to the crowd of people who'd been invited, "I'm honored to be here today to bring together two families: Bridget, and her children, Oliver and Dani, and Horace and his son, Alan."

"Alan's not his son." Suddenly, one of the guests stood up. I stared in shock, recognizing him as Nelson Gonzales, my actual father. "He's my son."

But I thought he didn't know I was his son; hell, he wasn't even supposed to know that I existed. Uncle Horace said he'd erased Nelson's memory after our last visit.

"Horace, what is that man wearing a suit that looks like he found it in a dumpster talking about?" Bridget demanded, turning on Horace.

"I have no idea." Uncle Horace told her. "But I'll take care of it. Alan, would you mind coming with me?"

He didn't really give me or Nelson a choice, grabbing us both by the wrists and dragging us all the way up to the hotel room. "Nelson, how could you?" He demanded once we were inside. "You interrupted my wedding, put Alan in danger – who opened all my gifts?"

Indeed, everyone one of the presents in the room had been opened, or the wrapping torn off. "Ooh! Somebody gave me the bun pan in a pyramid-shaped box I registered for!"

"Uncle Horace, I want to know what's going on." I looked at my uncle, confused. "How did Nelson fin out he was my dad?"

"Alan, I have always known I was your father." Nelson told me, sitting down on the couch and motioning for me to do the same. I looked at him, frowning and not moving.

"I don't understand. If you know, then why didn't you take care of me, or teach me how to throw a ball? I mean, look at this." I grabbed a toy football of the ground and attempted to throw it towards the door. As usual, the ball slipped from my grasp and fell backwards.

"No need to dwell on the past." Uncle Horace told me. "What we need to do is get back to my wedding."

"No!" I protested. As he and Nelson tried to leave, I used my telekinesis to drag one of the large dressers in front of the doors, blocking their escape. "No one's going anywhere, and since I have the wedding rings, the ceremony can't continue without me."

I deserved an explanation for all of this: why did my father abandon me if he knew I was out there? Why did Uncle Horace keep this from me? They owed me that, and they owed me for an entire lifetime of lies. "I don't want any excuses! What I want if for you to make up for the last 15 years I spent without a dad, right now!"

"Fifteen years? Alan, please." Uncle Horace begged me. Huh, I'd never heard him beg before. "We barely have fifteen minutes."

"I'll take it." I'd take any time with my father, at this point. "One minute for every year of my life. I'll start as a one year old."

 **Oliver's POV**

The entire time Horace was gone, I couldn't keep my eyes off my mother, as if I expected her to suddenly grow a devil's tail or something. Dani wasn't much better, unable to stay still as she bounced slightly on her feet.

"Oh, this is ridiculous." Mom muttered after a long moment. She hiked up her dress and began to storm off the stage. "I'm going to find Horace."

"We know who you are." Dani spoke up suddenly, her voice soft by clear. Mom turned around, a confused smile on her face.

"And I know who you are. You are my beautiful, strong but somewhat naïve daughter Danica, and you are my handsome, brilliant, but somewhat underachieving son Oliver." She assured us before beginning to walk away.

"I'm also Quimby Fletcher."

A large part of me hoped that she wouldn't react to the name, that she wouldn't know who that was and this was all a big misunderstanding. But another part of me knew, and wasn't at all surprised when she stared at me with an expression of shock and horror on her face. "What?" She demanded. I grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her back onto the stage with Dani and I.

"We know everything." Dani told her, speaking quickly in an attempt to keep herself from becoming emotional. "Kaz, Ollie, and I, we work at Mighty Med, for Horace."

"How could you be Mr. Terror?" I demanded. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jaime perk up, having heard that bit of the conversation. She didn't approach us, but whispered something to Spotlight, then left the room in a hurry. Probably going to go get Liv, I figured. "How?"

She didn't answer at first. "Tell us!" I demanded, my voice shaking.

"Fine." Mom sighed. "Thirteen years ago, I was reviewing some top-secret files at work, and I discovered that superheroes were real, and that my boss was actually a supervillain named Argento. He'd been trying to find the Arcturion for years, and when I confronted him about it, he said if I told anyone, he would destroy you."

"So you kept quiet." I murmured. She bit her lip worriedly.

"I tried to tell your father, you know. And Argento found out." She looked at Dani lovingly. "He sent one of his minions after you on one of your school field trips to prove a point."

"That day at the pier." Dani realized, remembering it. Despite the fact that it had been years ago, we all still remembered it well – after all, it was the day we met Kaz. Some stranger had accidently knocked my 4-year old sister off the pier on a field trip, and Kaz's oldest brother, Kenny, pulled her out of the water before she could drown. "Wait, so that guy…it wasn't an accident?"

"No, it wasn't." Mom's gaze turned hard. "I couldn't let anything like that happen again, so I eliminated Argento, and then I took over his empire so that no one could ever threaten you again."

"You murdered him?" I stared at her, shocked. My mother, a murder?

"I did it all for you two." She told us gently. "To create a world where I have total control, so I can protect you."

"You don't need to protect us. We need to protect you, from yourself, and that's why I can never let you get your hands on the Arcturion." I told her.

Past her, I saw Kaz, Skylar, Alivia, and Jaime run back into the room. They stopped to speak with Gus for a moment, then Kaz looked at us. "Dee! Oliver! Grab that gift!" He pointed at a pyramid shaped gift on top of the gift table. "We have to return it to the store…in the sun!"

Mom, Dani, and I all looked at each other, then raced for the present. I got their right after my mom did, but was able to wrestle the gift away from her. "No, Oliver!" Mom protested.

"Mom, could you just forget about this whole thing, and go back to being our mother? Please!" I retorted, looking back at her. Suddenly, I ran into something big. Looking forwards, I stumbled backwards as Slaughter Master advanced on me. He snatched the gift-wrapped Arcturion out of my hands.

"At last! Ultimate power is mine!" He proclaimed. Skylar raced forward and kicked the Arcturion out of his hands. Unfortunately, Nightstrike caught it, a smirk on his face.

"Mine!" Jaime declared, charging after her nemesis. She blasted him in the chest, knocking the Arcturion out of his hands and onto the ground. He tried to his her with his bo staff, but the blonde-haired girl grabbed it with both hands and, using her unnatural strength, threw him across the room. She winced sympathetically when he knocked one of the guests out on his seat. "Sorry!"

The guests, at least the ones who weren't' superheroes, began to scream and panic, their desperate attempts to escape the hotel room causing a stampede. More villains began to show up, including the Incinerator, Soul Slayer, Sonic Shriek, the Ambusher, and the henchmen from earlier. However, they weren't the only ones here.

Blue Tornado, Solar Flare, Gamma Girl, Spark, Spotlight, Geminus, and Clone Master was all there, ready to fight and protect the civilians, and by now, more heroes were on their way. "Geminus, Spotlight, Gamma Girl! You three keep the civilians from harm." Clone Master, easily the most experienced of the heroes in the room, ordered. "Blue Tornado, Solar Flare, Spark, and I will take the villains."

"But, Dad!" Alivia protested, wanting to help.

"That's an order, Gem!" He didn't give her a chance to argue, instead splitting into five versions of himself and charging at Slaughter Master. Surprisingly, Alivia immediately disobeyed his orders and grabbed one of the wooden chairs. She lifted it above her head and swung it at the henchmen's back. He turned around, uninjured, and tried to punch her, but she dropped to the ground, not only avoiding the punch, but allowed the villain to punch Sonic Shriek in the face instead.

"I love weddings." Spotlight joked as he and Gamma Girl urged the civilians to get behind them.

 **Alan's POV**

"Thanks, Dad." I smiled at Nelson as we sat amongst the piles of pillows and blankets. Near the door, Uncle Horace looked bored out of his mind, but I paid him no attention. "Eight-year-old me loves pillow forts, and pillow farts."

"I wish you could have known your grandpa." Nelson smiled back. "Boy, could he pillow fart."

"Look, Bridget's waiting." Uncle Horace looked at me pleadingly. "You've had a full eight minutes of father-son bonding. Isn't that enough?"

"No!" I jumped to my feet, looking at him. How could he be so selfish? "I spent an entire childhood without a dad, and now you want me to give up the last seven minutes?"

"Alan…" Uncle Horace tried, but I wasn't having it.

"I hate you! You're ruining my life!" I shouted, angry and hurt, before running into the bedroom and slamming the door shut behind me.

 **Oliver's POV**

I watched the fight going on with interest, trying to keep my focus on Alivia, Skylar, and Jaime to make sure they were okay, but there was so much going on that it was hard to not get distracted.

Clone Master was fighting Slaughter Master, using all five of his duplicates to overpower the giant man. One particularly hard punch to his gut made him drop the Arcturion. Nightstrike raced to pick it up, but Jaime was all over him, fending him off with short, powerful bursts of electricity.

"We need to get that Arcturion." Kaz looked at us before breaking free of the group and racing right into the fight.

"Damn it, Kaz." I muttered before Dani and I raced out after him. He ducked past fighting villains and heroes alike, trying to reach the Arcturion that was lying near Solar Flare's feet. The Incinerator got there seconds before him, scooping up the Arcturion in one hand and holding the other one out threateningly. But before she could attack, a large glass decorative ball hit her right in the back of her head, shattering as it knocked her unconscious. "Who…" I turned to see Barry holding another glass ball in his hands, standing several feet away, with a large group of people between him and his target. "Nice shot!"

"Well, I'm not captain of the basketball, archery, and ultimate Frisbee teams for no reason!" He replied with a cocky laugh. I went to grab the Arcturion, but Soul Slayer took it from me before I could. Blue Tornado reacted quickly, using his powers to create a mini-cyclone that sent the Arcturion flying from the villain's hands.

It landed in the center of the stage, completely surrounded by villains. Every single villain in the room lunged for it, resulting in a dogpile on the stage. "Mr. Quick!" Alivia shouted, grabbing the rope for the curtains and tossing it into the air. The speedster caught it and raced around the villains at light speed, tying them all up before they even knew what was happening. Queen Hornet then stepped in to use her stingers to render them unconscious. Skylar smirked and walked up to them, taking the Arcturion out of Nightstrike's limp hands.

"Good work." Clone Master told everyone, though he gave Alivia a stern look for disobeying him. He turned to the other heroes. "Take these villains to Mighty Max prison, then gather up all the guests and erase their memory of the past hour."

"It's going to be hilarious watching them try to figure out where they parked." Kaz commented, walking up to us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Barry slip out the front, avoiding being taken with the rest of the guests to get his memory erased.

"Indeed." Clone Master agreed, cracking a smile. He looked past us. "I'll give you a few minutes." He told us before leading most of the other heroes out.

"Oliver, Danica." We looked to see Spotlight bringing our mother over, ready to transport her to Mighty Max. "You know I don't belong in prison with those thugs. I'm your mother; I love you."

"We love you too, Mom." Dani told her. I nodded.

"But we're sorry." I took the Arcturion from Skylar. "Your reign as Mr. Terror is over. The Arcturion is safe in my hands."

This was the best solution I could think of. If Mom was in prison, she couldn't use the Arcturion to hurt anyone, even if her motives were good ones, and we could still go and see her sometimes.

Suddenly, Mort leapt out from behind the curtains and attacked Spotlight, hitting him in the back of the head with his elbow. The heavy blow knocked the hero to the ground, dazed. Mom took advantage of our surprise and stole the Arcturion away from me.

"And now it's safe in my hands!" She declared, tearing away the wrapping paper. Mort looked at me, then at her.

"So you're Mr. Terror? And you've been trying to get me to knock off your own son?" He questioned. "And I thought my family was dysfunctional."

"Finally." Mom smiled, her face illuminated by the glowing of the Arcturion sphere. "Absolute power is mine."

"We have to stop her." Alivia announced, about to race in and attack.

"Liv, that's our mother." Dani stopped her. She looked at me. "Our mom, our responsibility."

"You're right." I agreed. I looked at my mother, hoping that I could maybe talk some sense into her. "Mom, don't do this."

"Please, Mom." Dani added. There were tears of desperation in the corners of her eyes. Mom looked at us for a long moment, then twisted the top of the pyramid. The glass wall facing us opened and she placed her hand inside, gripping the Arcturion Sphere. Energy burst from the sphere, going through my mother, turning her veins purple. "No!"

Kaz, Dani, and I all reached out at the same time, grabbing for Mom's arm in an attempt to rip it away from the artifact, but a burst of energy rocketed through us. It sent us flying through the air. I felt the air rush from me when we crashed into a pile of chairs, every one of my muscles aching and screaming in protest. I sat up just in time to see my mother collapse, and the Arcturion pyramid roll out of her hands.

"No!" I shouted, scrambling to my feet.

"Mom?" Dani got there at the same time as I did, kneeling by our mother, her eyes examining her. "Mom?"

"We're losing her." I realized, checking her pulse. Kaz had told me that no mortal could survive contact with the Arcturion. "No, no, no."

"Horace." Dani looked up at Kaz. "We need him. If she…he's got his last remaining Caduceo power to bring her back!"

"But she'd still have the energy of the Arcturion inside her, and she'd be an unstoppable villain, which is bad because she hates me." Kaz reminded us. In all the commotion, I just noticed now that Mort was gone, having abandoned his leader.

"What if we suck the power out of her?" Alivia suggested. "Hapax drained the evil out of Skylar. He can probably do the same for Bridget."

"Good idea." I agreed.

"Let's go, Oliver." Skylar encouraged.

"No." Dani shook her head. "We need to stay here, with our mom."

"Okay." Kaz nodded sympathetically at us. "Skylar, Liv, and I will go through the wormhole transporter and find Hapax on Caldera."

 **Alan's POV**

"Alan, come out here!" My Uncle Horace shouted, losing his patience. "You're acting like a fifteen year old who's acting like a fourteen year old!"

"No." I refused, sitting at the bottom of the door and leaning my head against it. "These past few minutes of childhood were the best. Why couldn't Nelson have been there for real and teach me how to be a better Normo?"

There was a pause, then Nelson himself spoke up. "Alan, I think it's time you found out why I couldn't be there for you." Suddenly, the door behind me dissipated, turning to dust before my eyes. I scrambled to my feet, shocked. "It's because I'm the superhero Optimo. I couldn't let anyone know that you were my son because my nemesis, Razor Claw, would have destroyed you."

I stared at him, everything suddenly making sense to me. Why Uncle Horace had to lie, why my mother sent me away to live with my uncle in the first place – it was all for my own protection. "Wait, so you mean, I'm not a Normo?" I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! I spent the whole last year trying to be one. I didn't like it."

Nelson held his arms out and I hugged him tightly. Wow, what a difference this made. I had a father, I wasn't a Normo…it felt incredible.

"You couldn't have just told him you were Optimo?" Uncle Horace complained. "The hotel's going to charge me a fortune for that door."

"I'll pay for it." I offered. They both looked at me suspiciously.

"With what money?" Uncle Horace questioned.

"With all the years of allowance that I never got." I smirked at my dad. "You owe me $20,000."

"Splendid then!" Uncle Horace clapped his hands together, pleased with how things turned out. "What a wonderful day! You two have patched things up, and I'm off to marry a beautiful woman!"

 **Kaz's POV**

"Okay, I've got the wormhole transporter!" I announced, rushing straight to the counter in the ER when we reached Mighty Med.

"Atmosphere regulators." Alivia handed me one, then pressed the small, circular device to her arm. "Ready?"

"Maybe this is a bad idea." Skylar worried. "We don't have time for this. What if Hapax isn't in his cave? Or he refuses to come with us because he's sick? Or slow-roasting a turkey? They require constant basting!"

"Stop worrying. It won't take long." I assured her before turning on the wormhole transporter.

 **Xxx**

"I stand corrected. That took forever." I commented as we reappeared back in Mighty Med, Hapax by our sides.

"Don't worry." The alien told us. "What took you sixteen hours on Caldera only took two seconds on Earth. When you travel through a wormhole, time-space for the traveler expands at a different rate than relative to a fixed observer on Earth."

"Are we still in a wormhole?" I questioned, annoyed. "Because that explanation also took forever."

"Let's just get back to Oliver and Dani's mom." Skylar suggested, heading for the door.

"Now, this is your first time back on Earth in 30 years." Alivia told Hapax as we headed through the exit and towards the street. "I have to warn you, things have changed a lot."

"Oh, I have basic cable." Hapax assured her. "I'm all caught up."

 **Oliver's POV**

I checked my mom's pulse again, frowning when I noticed it getting weaker. Chances were, she was going to die before Kaz got back, but I was confident that Horace would give up his last Caduceo power to save her life.

I glanced at my sister. Dani hadn't said anything since Kaz, Skylar, and Alivia left, not even when Spotlight, having only woken up a couple of minutes ago, questioned her on what had happened, not even when I sent him to go after Mort. She was just sitting on the steps of the stage, her knees pulled up to her chest, and her gaze locked on our mom's still body.

"Dee?" I murmured gently, moving to sit next to her. She'd always been the more emotional of the two of us, so I was genuinely surprised that she wasn't completely freaking out yet. Unless going quiet was her way of freaking out. When she didn't respond, I put my hand on her shoulder. "Hey."

"Oh, hey." She glanced at me, then back at Mom.

"Everything's going to be okay." I promised her. She looked at me, and shook her head.

"If this works, Mom goes to prison for…forever, maybe, and then what happens to us? Dad left ages ago, and he hasn't answered any of our calls since last year. Where will we go?" She bit her lip worriedly. "We're going to lose everything, Ollie."

"We'll still have each other." I reminded her. "And Kaz."

She laughed lightly at that. "The three of us against the world?"

"The way it's always been." I agreed. She laid her head against my shoulder, just as her phone beeped. She pulled it out of her purse. "You kept yours?"

"We just found out Mom was evil. I wasn't going to give up my only way of calling for help." She cleared her throat and checked the text message. "'On our way with Hapax, get Horace'." She read aloud.

"Let's go." I told her. Dani nodded and climbed to her feet. She headed straight for the backdoor – it would be easier to take the elevator in the back than take the stairs, seeing as my sister was in heels – while I hung back for a moment.

"Mom, I'm going to get Horace." I told her, even though I knew she couldn't hear me. "I think he can save you. I know the real you is still in there. I love you, Mom. We both do."

Then I raced after my sister, heading for the hotel room.

 **Alan's POV**

Something was wrong. That was immediately obvious the moment we stepped onto the first floor. The music was gone, as well as every one of the guests. The hall was even worse – it looked like a war zone. Chairs laid broken across the ground, the tables for gifts were overturned, and presents were torn and broken. And in the middle of it, lying on the stage, was Bridget.

"Bridget! Darling!" Horace raced over to her.

"What happened?" Nelson demanded, looking around.

"Uncle Horace, is she alright?" I asked as he examined his bride.

"She's gone." He murmured. He sat there for a moment, shell-shocked. Then he stood up. "Do not worry, my love. I'll will save you!"

He raised his hands and I recognized what he was going to do. "But, Uncle Horace, that's your last Caduceo power! You'll never be able to save anyone again."

"Who better to use it on than Bridget?" He retorted. "She is the kindest, most angelic creature in the universe."

He raised his hands to the sky, and started channeling the power of Caduceo. "Thanatoi bios!" He shouted, drawing energy from the heavens. Blue energy flowed downwards, through him and into Bridget. "Bioi Thanatos!"

"She's alive!" I gasped as Bridget slowly sat up, blinking heavily.

"And she's evil." At the sound of Oliver's voice, I turned to see him, Dani, Kaz, Skylar, Geminus, Spark, and a short guy in a hood standing by the door.

 **Oliver's POV**

When we couldn't find Horace, Dani and I had decided to go back to the wedding hall, to see if maybe Jaime had seen him. Unfortunately, by time we got down there and asked her, Horace had already entered the wedding hall. Kaz, Skylar, Alivia, and Hapax reached us just as we walked into the hall. But it was too late – Horace had already brought my mother back from the dead. Mom stood up slowly, looking over us and I flinched, seeing a wild look in her eyes.

However, Horace was completely oblivious to it. "Oliver, I know she makes you wear a life jacket in the bathtub, but I'd hardly call that evil." He rolled his eyes at me, then turned to my mother. "Are you alright, pookie-bear? How are you feeling?"

"How am I feeling?" She repeated before smirking. "To answer your question, Horace, I'd say I'm feeling pretty good."

"What is going on, Bridget?" Horace demanded, confused. My mother's smirk grew.

"Please, call me Mr. Terror." She announced. Horace looked shocked, recognizing the name. "And everything is going according to plan!" She laughed. "I knew if I touched the Arcturion, it would give me ultimate power, but would destroy me in the process."

"So you manipulated me into falling in love with you so I would use my Caduceo power to bring you back to life?" Horace questioned, hurt. Mom nodded, smiling widely.

"Yes, and now I'm the most powerful being on the planet!" She exclaimed. She leapt into the air, suddenly able to fly, and flew out an open window.

"C'mon!" Alivia shouted, racing towards the backdoor. We were right behind her, following her out onto the street. Mom stood on the bridge, glaring at something off of it. She raised her hand and threw a ball of pure energy down into the street below, destroying a car.

"Teach you to leave your car running with no one in it!" She shouted. "Don't you care about the environment?"

"Mom, stop it!" Dani begged her. "Please! You have to!"

"I told you, dear." Mom looked at her gently. "I'm doing this all for you."

"We need to do something before she gets away." Skylar said, looking at us. Nelson, Alan's dad, stepped out from behind us.

"I'll take it from here." He announced. He began to spin very fast, just like Blue Tornado did, until his clothes had changed into a grey, armored suit with an O on the chest plate. He looked at my mom, unimpressed. "Sorry to crash your wedding."

He rushed at her, going at least 400 mph, but Mom was prepared for it; she caught his arm as he neared her and used her newfound super strength to fling him over her shoulder and towards a building a couple of blocks over. She threw him with so much power that not only did he actually reach the building, but he also destroyed the top corner of it completely.

"DAD!" Alan shouted in horror before tearing off in the direction. Mom turned back to us.

"Anyone else want to challenge me?" She questioned.

"Yes." Kaz nodded before pushing Alivia and Jaime out in front. Both girls sent him a glare, but then turned to face my mom.

"Stand down." Alivia advised, splitting into three versions of herself. "We don't want to hurt you."

"Well, that makes one of us." Jaime muttered. She held her hands out in front of her, creating a ball of pure electrical energy. She shot it at my mom before racing towards her, obviously hoping that she could catch my mother off guard by sending that first attack. However, Mom caught the ball of electricity in hands with ease, and, after boosting its power, used it against Jaime, hitting her square in the chest with it.

"Jaime!" All of the Alivias shouted, but before any of them could react, Mom sent a ball of energy, twice the size of Jaime's, right at them. Two of them managed to get away, but the one on the left was hit, knocking her down and out.

The two remaining duplicates charged at my mom, but she was ready for them. Mom grabbed one of them by the leg when she tried to do a mid-air spinning kick, and used Alivia's own momentum to swing the red-head hero into the other one. One of the Alivias went flying, falling right off the bridge, while the other was thrown harshly into one of the bridge's poles.

"Liv!" Dani cried, shocked. There was no way that duplicate survived, but from what Alivia had told us of her powers, so long as she, the original Geminus, was still alive and conscious, then she would survive. So, no matter what happened to the other duplicates, she would be okay. Thankfully, it appeared that the Alivia still with us was the original. But, judging by the way she was gasping for breath and had curled up around one of her legs, I knew she was down for the count.

Mom glanced at her, then at Jaime who was stumbling over to her girlfriend, but didn't seem to consider them a threat. "Is that it?" My mother demanded.

"Step aside." I looked to see Hapax step out from behind us. He looked at my mother, then raised his hands to drain her powers. She disappeared before our eyes, then reappeared seconds later, just behind Hapax. Before he could do anything about it, however, my mother used telekinesis to send him crashing into a nearby car.

"Well, this has been fun," Mom looked at us. "But this was only step one in my plan to conquer the world. Danica, Oliver, you are welcome to join me."

"Join you?" Dani repeated, staring at her. I was equally shocked. She just…she just attacked our friends, admitted to be planning on conquering the world, and she wanted us to join her?

"No. Never." I retorted. Dani nodded.

"I can't do that." She agreed with me. Mom looked briefly disappointed, then shook her head.

"Too bad." Mom sighed before flying away. We watched her go for a moment before we remembered the others.

"Crap, Liv!" Dani exclaimed, racing over to the two girls alongside Kaz, while Skylar and I went to check on Hapax.

 **Xxx**

"I hate casts." Alivia pouted, glaring at the stark white plaster cast around her right leg.

"Yeah, well, with the way your cells duplicate themselves, you'll be all healed up in about a month." I assured her, sitting on the edge of her bed. Thankfully, no one had been too badly injured. Jaime had a bad concussion, Alivia had a broken leg and dislocated ankle, Nelson had a number of cracked ribs, and Hapax was mainly just bruised and beaten. Those weren't fun injuries, but I couldn't help but feel that my mom went easy on them.

"I can't believe Mom's evil." Dani commented, sitting on top of the ER counter, her hands smoothing out her dress. Most of the heroes were back here for the time being, but unlike the rest of them, none of us bothered to change out of our clothes for the wedding. Though I did see Dani's heels sitting in a trash can near the entrance.

"I know." I agreed. Mom, evil and on the run. I never would have thought this possible, even in the worst of nightmares.

"How can my darling Bridget do something so terrible?" Horace cried. "And on a bridge, no less!"

"Hello Alan." Dani greeted the black-haired boy as he walked into the room. He nodded at her, then went straight over to Nelson's hospital bed, which sat next to Alivia's.

"I'm so glad you're alright." He told his father. Nelson smiled at him appreciatively.

"Thanks, son." He replied. "I'm sorry, again, that I lied to you."

"It's okay, Dad. I lie all the time." Alan assured him. Alivia looked over at Nelson.

"He really does." She agreed.

Kaz chose that moment to wheel Hapax over to us. "Hey, that guy looks familiar." Alan frowned, not realizing that he looked familiar due to the fact that they could be identical twins. "And he's so handsome."

Nelson stared at Hapax. "Dad?" He questioned after a long moment.

"Hello, son." Hapax greeted him. I almost chuckled – that would explain why Hapax and Alan looked so much alike.

"Wait." Kaz frowned and looked as if he was thinking hard about something. "So you're Alan's father, and Hapax is your father, so that means that Hapax is…"

"Alan's grandfather." Skylar supplied.

"I would have gotten that!" He snapped at her before walking over to Dani. I sighed and walked over to them, giving Alan, Nelson, and Hapax some privacy.

"We have to figure out a way to stop my mom and turn her not evil." I told them. Dani frowned.

"You think that's possible? I mean, it's not like with Skylar, Ollie. Mom wasn't infected with evilness or anything like that." She told me, looking disheartened.

"We'll figure it out." I told her. I wasn't going to give up on my family.

"We will, I promise." Skylar told me. She looked at me, concern in her pretty brown eyes. "You okay?" She held out her arms. "Do you want a hug?"

I was about to accept when Horace pushed past me, holding onto Skylar tightly. "I really do." He began to cry. "Thank you Skylar."

She hugged him back awkwardly. Kaz chuckled and, after helping Dani down from the counter, said, "I got you, buddy. Bring it in."

He pulled us both in for a hug. Then, suddenly, the strangest thing happened.

The floor disappeared beneath our feet. And I don't mean that the floor suddenly was destroyed, or magically vanished. The three of us floated into the air, hovering about two feet off the ground.

"What the hell…" Dani muttered, looking down.

"Do we-do we have powers?" Kaz gasped, ecstatic. I thought about it.

"When we touched my mom while she was holding the Arcturion, we must have absorbed some of its energy." I realized. Kaz laughed in amazement.

"I did it! I finally have powers!" He exclaimed.

"Are you kidding me?!" Skylar demanded, glaring at us. Oh, right. Maybe we shouldn't brag about it. She stormed off, clearly upset. Oh well – I'd try to make it up to her later.

"Something weird is going on…" Horace approached us, frowning. "Boys, did you two switch shirts?"

"They're floating." Alivia pointed out. Horace shook his head.

"No, that's not it." He replied. I chuckled, then glanced at the ground.

"Okay, let's get down." I suggested.

"We could do that." Dani agreed. Then she smiled, that little, wild, reckless smile of hers. "Or…"

 **Xxx**

"THIS IS AWESOME!" Kaz shouted at the top of his lungs as we flew over the city. I had to admit, this was without a doubt the coolest thing that had ever happened to me.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Dani exclaimed suddenly. She held her hand out in front of us. "Commemorative fake photo!" She held the non-existant camera out in front of us. "Say superheroes on three. One…two…three!"

 **Kihonne: I am legitimately disappointed that the series didn't actually end with a commemorative fake photo. It started that way, and it definitely should have ended that way. Oh well, that's the point of fanfiction, right? Anyway, remember to review! Next chapter will have the final shoutouts, so if you have any questions you'd like to ask me about either series, I suggest you ask now, because it'll be the only way I can answer you aside from PMs. And also, I want to know what you guys thought. This was the final episode chapter, after all, and I really want to hear your opinions on it.**

 **Anyway, the final chapter, Childhood's End, will be up tomorrow. I plan on using it to tie up a lot of loose ends with the story, as well as set up a number of things for The Power of Seven, but be warned – it won't be a happy ending. Just giving you all a fair warning before I post it. As I said, it'll be up sometime tomorrow, so until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to review!**


	35. Childhood's End

**Kihonne: Alright guys, I'm here for the last time to announce that I've brought you another chapter. This is Childhood's End, and it's the last chapter of the Days of Our Lives. But before we move onto the chapter, here's the final shoutouts!**

 **Duggie Davenport: I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter! As for Dani's powers, you definitely get to see them in this chapter. And as for Mr. Terror, (which I assume you meant) let's just say that I never leave anything left undone. I don't want to say more than that. Anyway, thank you so much for being such a loyal reviewer. It means a lot.**

 **SzymonS: And now here's a fourth on time! What a way to end the story, right? I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, especially the parts with Bridget. I could have had her kill someone more important, but for the time being, I don't want her to cross that line. As for Davenport taking the 16 years old on his team, I don't think it would have been illegal. I mean, Kaz, who was the only one with parents in the picture, told his mother that he would be working for Davenport, so that must mean that she gave him temporary custody. Oliver and Dani's mom is obviously on the run, and while they should be going back to their father's custody, I have the feeling that they probably never contacted him at all concerning the situation. So, since neither of them, or Skylar, have parents who can adequately care for them, I think Davenport giving taking them onto the team, at the same time as giving them a roof over their heads and free access to food, would actually be the right thing to do. It's kind of complicated whether it would legal for them, seeing as their situations are pretty unique, but even if it was illegal, this is also the guy who kept three children, who were not his, locked in a basement for 15 years. As for this chapter, I'm afraid it will end with the hospital's destruction. Unfortunately, there's just not enough time to deal with the Mr. Terror thing properly before Elite Force, so when Bridget makes her return, it will be much later. But don't you worry – I've got some killed plans for how I'm going to handle it. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and thank you so much for being such a loyal reviewer.**

 **LabGirl2001: I'm glad you liked it so much, especially the ending. I really think the series should have ended that way. Anyway, I'm glad you liked Liam's name. As for Barry…well, while he won't be reappearing in this story again, I do promise that he will be back in the overall series, and in a big way. I've made hints at it a couple of times, but they were so subtle that I don't think anyone's going to figure it out until I do the big reveal, so I guess you're just going to have to wait to see. Anyway, thank you so much for being such a loyal reviewer, and I hope you like the chapter.**

 **Algernon: Don't worry about it – it's Christmas time and everyone is busy with family. I'm glad you see my point on why Dani is desperate for her freedom – until I started university, I lived in a tiny town in the country, so the need to get out and experience things is very familiar to me. Oh, and thank you for pointing out the typo – if you go back, you'll notice that I fixed it. I'm glad you picked up on why Oliver noticed how Dani was changing, especially the relationship with her mother. That boy clearly loves his family, and it's a driving force for him wanting to stop/save Bridget. I also wanted to show how much he cared because, with Bridget gone, Dani's the only family he's got left. It's going to change both of them a lot, but I think the major thing that will stay the same will be their relationship, simply because that's the one thing they both need in life – their other half. I'm glad you liked the bit with Alan and Nelson – I never liked him much, though the kid did grow on me after a while, but I felt that their relationship had to be spotlighted. I mean, it seems ironic that the day Oliver and Dani lose their mother is the day Alan gains a father. Maybe a little poetic too. Thanks so much for the compliments on the fight scenes – I've never felt very adequate at writing them, especially when I'm adding OCs to a fight that was in the show, simply because it's actually really hard. I'm glad to know that I managed to succeed on that front. And wasn't that ending good? I don't want to toot my own horn or anything, but seriously Mighty Med producers, why didn't you think of that? Now, I agree that it would have been very interesting to see Dani's personal thoughts on everything that happened, but I went with Oliver's POV by design. Oliver is logical, and more in control of his emotions, and I see these as tools he could use to help sort out how he felt about everything. He might feel a million things at once, but I think he'd be the one to see clearer about the situation. Dani, on the other hand, is erratic and emotional. She would probably have a much harder time trying to figure out how she felt about her mother and what she's done, especially considering the numerous ups and downs to their relationship. I chose Oliver's POV for the chapter because he would be less confusing to write, and it allows me to showcase Dani's thoughts and feelings about the situation at a slower rate, as she comes to terms with things. As you said, she is the main OC, so I wanted to take extra time to work on her perspective about all of this, and that was something that couldn't be done in a single chapter, especially not the chapter that it all happened. Trust me, you're not missing out on any of Dani's emotions – you're just seeing them at a different time. Moving on, there are a number of loose ends that need to be tied up, though now that I've actually written the chapter, I realize that I'm leaving a number of cliffhangers and questions for all of you. Some loose ends will be tied up, but others I will leave loose until I can bring them back for more fun. It's probably going to drive people nuts, but hey, it works out better plot-wise if I do it this way. You are right, however, there will be something major happening in this chapter. Well, two things, but one is less apparent. I'm not sure if I'm going to need the bomb shelter – though thanks again for the offer – because I showed less deaths than I originally intended. Still, I know not many people will be happy with the last 1000 words of the chapter…Anyway, I wanted to thank you, and you especially. I don't like to play favorites, but I really looked forward to your reviews for this story. You are so encouraging, and you comment on those tiny little hints and subtext that so many readers miss. Your reviews have turned bad days into great ones, so I want you to know how much I appreciate you and your words. I really look forward to your opinion on what I do with the Elite Force, and I'm glad to know that you have loved this series' journey as much as I have loved writing it. And yes, commemorative fake photo. :)**

 **FangirlIsh13: Thank you so much! As for Mort, he will be making an appearance in this chapter at least, and possibly more. Okay, probably more, but I won't guarantee anything this far in advance, because any plans I have for him won't show up for a long while. As for the Power of Seven, it will actually be posted on the 9** **th** **, which is not next week but the week after – I'm lining the story up with my school breaks so that I've got the smaller chapters during the exam periods and the longer one during my spring break. You will, however, get to see a bit of Dani's powers in this chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. Also, thank you so much for being such a loyal reviewer. It means a lot. Happy New Year! I hope 2017 is better than 2016!**

 **AlienGhostWizard14: Oh, you have no idea. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and yes, I will be tying up some loose ends. However, others will be left loose just to screw with people and leave them with cliffhangers. And no, your last review did not offend at all. Sometimes, I go overboard explaining why I did certain things, or why I think certain things, so if I made you feel like you did or said something wrong, you didn't. Those are some pretty good guesses as to who will survive, though I can't say anything yet. And uh, sorry for the depressing ending…Anyway, thank you so much for being such a loyal reviewer, and I hope to see your reviews again when I post the Power of Seven.**

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: Anyway, for the last time for this story, Dani will you do the disclaimer?**

 **Dani: Kihonne doesn't own Mighty Med. She only owns Dani, Alivia, Jaime, and anything else you don't recognize.**

 **Xxx**

 **Dani's POV**

"Well, that was a bust." Skylar commented as we walked back into Mighty Med. The six of us – her, Kaz, Ollie, Spotlight, Jaime, and I – had just gotten back from Sudbury, where there had been reports of a super powered individual matching my mother's description. We'd all gone out to check them out, and perhaps bring her back with us, but to everyone's disappointment, and relief in some cases, the reports had been falsified. Likely one of my mother's minions trying to get us off her real trail.

"I don't get it." The blonde turned to Skylar and Spotlight. "Why is she in hiding? It doesn't make sense."

"She's right." Spotlight agreed as we all dumped our stuff – a couple of overnight bags with some of the more helpful tools that could be found at Mighty Med. "She just a motherload of power…" He glanced at Ollie and I. "Wrong choice of words."

"It's fine." Ollie told him. I rolled my eyes. Ever since Mom went on the run, the others had been treating my brother and I like we were glass – fragile and easily breakable. Even Horace, who had insisted that Ollie and I stay with him at Mighty Med for the time being, was walking on eggshells around us. The word 'Mother' had practically become taboo around here, and anytime our Mom was mentioned, they purposefully used 'Mr. Terror' rather than 'Bridget', as if they thought it would make things easier on us.

It wasn't helping. I know that they thought that it was, and maybe Ollie and I let them believe that, but things were still rough. I mean, between school (I was totally up for just ditching it, but Ollie maintained that we should have some normalcy in our lives), and discovering new and hard control powers, our duties at Mighty Med, and everything else that was going on, things were building up. Already, Ollie had flunked a couple of tests (I did too, but that was hardly abnormal for me), I'd lost the archery nationals (to Barry of all people), and a couple of days ago, we'd had a medical emergency that just went wrong. I mean, the guy was still alive and stuff, but some irreparable damage had been done, and his sons, after discovering what had happened, actually had to be dragged out by security after one of them attacked Ollie. All in all, the past couple of weeks had been pretty sucky.

"I'll tell Barry to keep looking at those reports, see if he can find us anything else." Skylar offered.

"Right, good." I nodded, before looking at Jaime. "So, when is…" I smirked at Spotlight. "…Geminus supposed to be back from her meeting with the League of Heroes?"

"In a couple hours." Jaime replied. Skylar frowned.

"Any idea why they wanted to talk to her?" She questioned. Jaime shook her head.

"Geminus didn't know," she replied, glancing at Spotlight with a small smile, "but you know what I think? I think they're finally going to promote her from sidekick to superhero."

"Geminus would love that." Kaz commented. Spotlight groaned in frustration.

"Will someone please tell me her actual name?" He requested. That earned a few scheming grins. He'd been trying for the past two weeks to guess her name, but to no avail. "Seriously, I'll pay you."

"No, this is too much fun." Skylar told him, smirking.

"But I'll give you a hint for ten bucks." I offered. He considered it, then pulled ten bucks out of his pocket and handed it to me. I grinned. "Her name does not begin with the letter Q."

"You suck." Spotlight told me, plucking the bill from my hands.

"Well, she didn't say the hint would be helpful." Kaz chuckled. Skylar rolled her eyes.

"Well, when she gets back, she can help give you guys more training for your powers." She told us, serious. "Kaz, you need to work on your aim. That fireball of yours nearly took my head off when we were training earlier."

"How do you know I wasn't trying to do that?" My boyfriend challenged.

"Alright guys, take a chill pill." Spotlight advised.

"I'm sure you weren't, right Kaz?" Ollie questioned. Kaz grumbled something inaudible, but didn't retort. "So, you guys are coming to the party later, right?"

"Uh, let's see. It's Mighty Med's 400th anniversary. Every superhero in the universe is coming." Spotlight looked at my brother like he was crazy. "Including all the hot babes. Of course I'm coming."

"You know, it'd be really refreshing if you didn't always think about girls and how many of them you can score." Jaime commented, shaking her head. "But yes, we'll both be there. As he said, everyone is going to be there."

"Cool." Despite myself, I was actually excited for the party. We'd spent the last couple of weeks searching for my mom, non-stop, and even though I knew that should be our number one priority, we could all use a break. And maybe something up-beat and cheerful as a party was exactly what we all needed to lift our spirits.

Then suddenly, I remembered something. "Oh, crap! I forgot to tell you guys! Guess what?"

They all looked at me. "You won the lottery?" Kaz guessed, obviously trying to get me to laugh. My smile widened.

"Guess who discovered another power?" I smirked.

 **Kaz's POV**

So, ever since we all got the ability to fly, Oliver, Dani, and I had all been discovering new powers, usually by accident. All of them were pretty cool, though many of them were hard to control. Still, I wasn't about to start complaining.

So far, I only had two powers. Flight was the first one, but I figured out that, just like Solar Flare, I had pyrokinesis. That hadn't been very fun to discover – somehow, I managed to light my desk on fire at school, and without anyway to properly excuse the action to the new principal, I'd been suspended for a month.

Oliver had the most powers so far – a grand total of four. Him having ice powers, the exact opposite of me kinda made sense, but when he busted out his newfound super strength the other day, lifting a 10,000 lbs. dumbbell to try and impress Skylar, it seemed a little unfair. Though I didn't begrudge him for the last ability. Twin telepathy sounded cool in the comic books, but ever since Dani and Oliver had realized that they could literally read each other's minds, they'd been even more crabbier with each other. The fact that they shared everything now, from a bedroom to each other's thoughts, was really driving them nuts.

"Okay, check it out." Dani grinned and spread her hands apart. Nothing happened.

"Dani?" Oliver looked at her, frowning.

"Give me a sec." She retorted. "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how I did it the first time, but I thin-ooh! Look!"

She beamed happily as a ball of electricity appeared between her hands. It was really small, about the size of a baseball, but she looked so damn proud of herself, and I hadn't seen her smile that happily in a while. "Way to go, Dee!" I exclaimed, maybe a little too enthusiastically.

"Impressive." Jaime agreed, looking over the ball with intrigue. "No, seriously. I think that's bigger than my first lightning ball when I started out."

"So, Kaz has got pyrokinesis, Dani's got electrokinesis, and Oliver's got cryokinesis?" Spotlight hummed. "Sounds…poetic."

"Ew, poetry." I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "No thanks."

"Okay, Jaime, one question." Dani laughed nervously. "I'm also not entirely sure how to make it disappear."

"Here." Jaime sighed and reached out towards Dani. The blonde clasped the ball of electrical energy in two hands, then closed the hands together tightly. When she opened them up, the ball was gone. "I'll help you get the hang of that."

"Thanks." Dani smiled sheepishly.

"That was really good, Dani." We turned to see Alivia standing in the entrance, crutches under her arms. Her leg was still healing from her fight against Bridget, and despite the fact that Alivia hated it, her leg was still encased in a cast. Skylar, Spotlight, Dani, and I all wrote little messages on it, while Jaime had drawn a bunch of yellow and green hearts, and Oliver had drawn a pretty good image of a swan, Ireland's national animal.

"You're back." Jaime smiled and went straight up to Alivia, quickly pressing her lips to hers. "How was it?"

"You a superhero yet?" Spotlight asked the question we were all wondering.

"Not yet." Disappointingly, Alivia shook her head. "They wanted to report on what happened with…"

"With our mother." Oliver finished. He frowned. "Didn't you do that already?"

"They wanted to see if I had anything to add to my statement." She replied, shrugging. She looked at Dani. "Hey, can we talk?"

"Sure, what's up?" Dani asked. Alivia glanced at the rest of us.

"Um…in private." She added. Dani frowned, but nodded.

"Rec room?" She suggested. Alivia nodded and the girls headed down the hallway.

"Well, that didn't sound suspicious at all." Spotlight commented before Jaime elbowed him in the ribs.

 **Dani's POV**

"So, how are things?" Alivia asked, slowly lowering herself onto the couch in the rec room. She placed the crutches next to her as she stretched her leg out. "And I mean it, Dani. The truth, no BS."

I sighed. "We're okay."

"Did I not just ask for the truth?" Alivia questioned.

"It is the truth." I insisted, taking a seat. "Do things suck right now? Yeah, they do, a lot. And does it hurt? Yeah. But Ollie and I, we aren't going to just break. We've got you, and Kaz, and Skylar, and everyone else to make sure we don't. Nothing's particularly great with us right now, but we are okay. And you guys need to realize that."

"Okay. I just had to be sure that you were okay, mentally, before…" She sighed, then looked me in the eye. "Dani, I've got a favor to ask of you."

"Anything, just name it." I replied. She hesitated.

"Don't agree so quickly." She advised. "Because you're not going to like what I'm going to propose, but I need you to do it for me."

I frowned. Damn, she was serious. "What's going on, Liv?"

 **Kaz's POV**

"So, any idea what they're talking about?" I asked, referring to the girls. Oliver shrugged.

"Girl stuff? Or maybe Geminus is just checking in with her." He replied.

Over on the other side of the room, Jaime and Spotlight were chatting, the latter still trying to guess Alivia's real name. "No, Spotlight. Her name isn't Siobhan!" Jaime laughed, clearly enjoying the conversation.

"Yeah, about that…" I trailed off, not particularly sure how to approach the topic. I wasn't really great when it came to emotional stuff – that was usually Oliver's job, or Alivia, if he was the one who needed to talk – but after everything that happened with his mother, and then everything that's happened since then, I figured he needed to talk. "How's living at Mighty Med?"

Well, maybe not how I wanted to start the conversation, but hey, at least I started it.

"It sucks." Oliver admitted. "The showers are crappy, the beds are lumpy, and did you know that Dee's a total insomniac? She's up until, like, two in the morning either reading or playing on her phone. She's keeping me up."

I guessed that it wasn't the only thing keeping him up. "But how long are you going to be staying here for? Like what's the plan?"

"Well, Mom's going to jail, so we can't live with her. But we can't impose on Horace forever." Oliver sighed.

"I don't think he'd mind." I told him. "And you guys are always welcome to stay at our place."

"I think your mom would start to question where our Mom is after a week or so." He pointed out. "I think we'll eventually have to call our dad. Maybe."

"Maybe?" I repeated.

"He hasn't really been in contact with us since last year. I don't even think I know how to contact him." Oliver admitted. "Dee and I are seventeen now. We're almost adults. We might try and convince Horace to let us stay here for the year – he can take the boarding cost away from our paychecks or something – and then, once we're eighteen, we'll be considered adults and no one will be able to tell us where to live."

"Again, the offer still stands for my house." I told him just as Dani walked back into the ER. I frowned, noticing how stiff her movements were, and how Alivia was nowhere to be seen. "Hey, beautiful, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She replied in a tone that told me that something was definitely wrong.

"Dee?" Oliver looked at her. "You sure? What did A-Geminus," he corrected, looking over at Spotlight, "want to talk about?"

"Nothing." Dani lied again. Jaime frowned, then excused herself to go find Alivia.

"Dani." Oliver pressed. His sister stopped, then looked at him.

"We talked and then we had a fight. Drop it." She warned us, her voice revealing how ticked off she was. Wow, that must have been one hell of a fight. "Seriously, I don't want to talk about it."

"Got it." "Dropping it." Oliver and I agreed. Spotlight frowned, thinking.

"Wait, is her name Alice?" He asked.

 **Dani's POV**

Alivia and I still weren't speaking by time the party started, but I tried to push the fight from my mind. Deep down, I knew she was trying to do the right thing, but she had said some pretty cruel things in there, and what she had asked me to do was…it was something I just couldn't do. Eventually, I knew we'd get over this, but for now, I was perfectly fine with being pissed at her.

Meanwhile, the party was in full swing. Every hero I'd ever met, and even more that I'd never heard of, had showed up to celebrate 400 long years of incredible medical care. There was music – from this generation, thank God – and dancing, as well as food. There was even a four foot long cake, built up in the shape of the Golden Gate Bridge, likely just for Horace. I almost laughed when the man burst into tears of joy upon seeing the cake. Hell, even Alan, Nelson, and Hapax, who'd been away on a family bonding trip since the wedding, showed up to celebrate.

"Dani! Oliver!" Benny, my favorite of the nurses, broke through the crowd, rushing over to us. He skidded to a stop in front of us. "There's something you need to see."

 **Xxx**

"Look." Benny led Skylar, Kaz, Ollie, Spotlight, and I into the rec room. He grabbed his laptop off the couch, then showed us the news report on it. "There was a break out at the USPEI."

"That's horrible." Skylar shook her head, before looking sharply at Benny. "What's the USPEI."

"United States' Prison for Enhanced Individuals." Spotlight explained. "You probably wouldn't have heard of it on Caldera."

"Prison for Enhanced Individuals?" I questioned, frowning.

"Well, not all villains end up in Mighty Max." Spotlight admitted. I looked at him, surprised. "Sometimes the regular police get to them first, and since we can't reveal ourselves to the world, the bad guys end up in this place. Usually, it's not so bad. About 95% of them are criminals who have either advanced natural talents, like super evil super geniuses, or they've gotten some sort of advancement from a scientist. I think there's a few bionic humans in there too."

"Okay, so there's a break out. Big deal." Kaz shrugged. "Call the police, or hand it off to Tecton or something."

"They caught one of the guys who was running the break out." Benny continued. He looked at us. "It was Mort."

"We're going." Ollie announced, leaning on the edge of the couch.

"I'll get some of the other heroes." Spotlight offered.

"No, don't." I stopped him. He frowned, confused. "Look, the fighting is all done. All we have to do is go in there, and talk to Mort. We don't need a bodyguard or a babysitter."

"Dani-" Skylar tried to intervene, but Ollie nodded in agreement.

"She's right. This is personal. This is our mom, we're talking about." He looked at everyone else. "This should be our responsibility to interrogate Mort."

"Not a word to anyone, Spotlight." Kaz looked pointedly at the hero.

"Not even to Jaime and Abby?" He asked.

"First of all, that's still not her name." I told him. He cursed, curling his hand into a fist. "And yeah, not even to them. Like I said, we don't need babysitters."

"So, just one question." Benny looked at us, curious. "How do you plan on getting into a secure government facility mere hours after they've had a major break out?"

Kaz grinned. "I have an idea."

 **Kaz's POV**

"We are going to get caught so fast." Skylar muttered as we used the wormhole transporter to appear right in the middle of the USPEI building.

"Relax. No one will even know we're here." I told her, rolling my eyes. "Probably."

"Look, let's just find Mort, okay?" Oliver decided. He looked around. "So, anyone know the way?"

"I say we check random cells and hope we don't get caught." Dani declared. And so, that's what we did. Honestly, we probably should have gotten caught – I mean, four teenagers in a government building? So easy to be caught. But I guess with the recent break out, they had more important things to worry about.

"Found him!" Skylar called suddenly. She was standing in front of a small door at the end of the hall. We all ran in, paranoid that a guard was going to see us any moment. The cell was small and dark. Mort stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by bright, blue, energized bars. They appeared to be blocking his powers, as he had not made any attempt to escape. "Hello Mort."

"Oh, great. It's you four." Mort sneered at us. Oliver pushed past Skylar and approached the cell.

"Where's my mother?" He got straight to business. Mort smirked.

"And I would tell you?" He questioned. "Not a chance, kid."

"You will tell us." I told him. "Or you'll spend the rest of your life in a cell like this."

"As opposed to, what? Mighty Max?" Mort laughed darkly. "At least here, I have a chance to escape."

"Look, we just want you to answer a few questions for us." Skylar told the henchmen. "And we will have your prison sentence reduced. It's how long now?"

Mort paused, considering it. "It's seven years." He admitted. "I'll answer your questions if you bring it down to one."

"No one will go for that." Mighty Med doctors had a certain amount of influence over things like this, similar to the influence most heroes had, but that would be beyond our abilities. "We can get you five."

"Then I guess we don't have a deal." Mort replied, crossing his arms. Dani pushed past me.

"Fine. The hard way then." She grabbed the bars on the cell, and suddenly, all of them electrified. "Now, any time you touch the bars, you'll get zapped. That's not gonna be very easy to avoid, seeing as your cell is only a few feet wide."

Mort glanced at the bars nervously. "Do I need to electrify the bottom of the cell too?" Dani asked.

"Dee." I looked at her, concerned. She turned and gave me a wink, assuring me that she had no intention of going that far. Then she looked back at Mort.

"You have powers." Mort sneered, looking at us warily.

"Yeah, we do." Dani agreed. "And not just that, but we're Mr. Terror's own children, and I've been told that I can be a lot like my mother when I want to be. Want to test that out?"

That got Mort's attention. "I-I don't know where Mr. Terror is, I swear."

"Then what do you know?" Skylar questioned, crossing her arms.

"I'm just following orders." Mort told her.

"And what were they? Your orders?" Dani questioned.

"To break into this prison, cause a riot, and then get myself publicly captured to get your attention." Mort replied. "Your mother knew you'd be looking for her."

"And why the hell would she want us to come here?" I questioned, baffled. For a moment, I was suspicious. Was this a trap? Were we walking straight into hell fire or something?

"Mr. Terror's very connected in the villain world." Mort told us. "She heard that something was going down in Philadelphia concerning Mighty Med, and thought it would be best to get you out of there."

"I'm calling Horace." Skylar declared, reaching for her phone as she walked out of the cell.

"Why should we believe you?" Oliver questioned. Mort shrugged.

"Don't then. It's your heads. I couldn't care less." He replied. He snapped his fingers. "Now, miss. The bars?"

"No." Dani refused, instead increasing the power running through the bars. She paused, then turned to look at Ollie. He nodded at the bars and she pouted. "Fine. Whatever."

She touched the bars again, and the electricity running across the bars disappeared. "Let's go." I told her before leading her and Oliver out the door. The moment the door was closed, Oliver turned on his sister.

"What the hell was that?" He questioned. She looked at him, confused.

"What?" She questioned, confused.

"That! Threatening him, scare tactics…that wasn't like you." He accused.

"Dee, he's got a point." I agreed. She looked at us like we were idiots.

"He spent the last two months try to kill you, Oliver." She pointed. I winced at the use of his full name. Not a good sign. "And we need to find Mom, and take her down. So I'm not going to sit around and ask nicely."

"That wasn't right. We can't stoop to their levels." Oliver scolded her. Skylar came running back towards us, a panicked look on her face.

"Horace isn't picking up." She told us, breathless. "Neither is Liv, or Jaime, or Spotlight, or anyone at Mighty Med."

Suddenly, I felt a weight drop in my chest. Something was wrong. Something big.

"We need to get back, now." Oliver decided. Dani nodded.

"Where's the wormhole transporter?" She demanded, reaching into her back and shuffling through it.

"I got it." I assured her, reaching into the bag and pulling out the device. I pressed the button on it, and we disappeared back to Philadelphia.

 **Xxx**

When I pressed that button, I figured that at worse, there was a siege going on at Mighty Med. Like all the villains were breaking out of Mighty Max and into the hospital. To me, that was the worst case scenario.

What we found was a million times worse.

"Oh my god." Skylar's hands flew up to her mouth as we all stared at the destruction around us. We should have come out of the wormhole in the middle of the rec room, but instead, we were surrounded by smoke and still burning fires. The sky was grey from ash. Most of the walls of the hospital, both Mighty Med and the Memorial Hospital for Normos, were destroyed. Some were completely gone, while others were left half-standing, the largest of which carried the Mighty Med 'M' logo, proving that we were in the right place. Broken gurneys and medical equipment lay shattered on the ground, also half-obliterated. I knew immediately that this hadn't been a siege – this looked more like a bombing site than anything else. It was horrible. It was all truly horrible, with an apocalyptic vibe. But the worst part were the bodies.

I didn't see them at first – the smoke and debris hid them well – but then, I started noticing the limp arm, or the bloodied hospital gown. I didn't recognized many of them, thank goodness, but I had the feeling that if we looked, there'd be too many familiar faces around.

"How could this happen?" Oliver whispered, aghast and horrified.

"T-There might be survivors." I heard myself saying. I felt like I was in a dream or, rather, a nightmare. "We should look. See if we can help."

"O-Okay." Dani nodded shakily.

"Keep on guard." Skylar told us as we began to split up, looking through the rubble and debris. I wanted to stop, right then and there, because there wasn't likely to be many survivors. But I was a doctor, and so were the others, and if anyone could help these people, we could, right? Especially if they were superheroes.

As I went through the wreckage, things just got worse. I started recognizing some of the broken bodies and the torn uniforms. "Oh, Benny." I sighed, looking down at the nurse when I found him. I'd never been appreciative enough of the nurse, and the last thing he did for us, possibly the last thing he ever did, was try to help my best friend and my best girl save their mother.

"AHH!" My head snapped up at the sound of a high-pitched shriek. I had barely just recognized the voice as Dani's when I started running. She came crashing into me first, burying her face in my shoulder as she shook violently.

"Hey, hey, hey." I heard footsteps come up behind me as I held her, but I didn't look, knowing that it would be Oliver and Skylar. I rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. "What's-"

I broke off as my gaze locked onto a body sitting in the middle of debris. I felt my breath catch in my throat as I recognized it, and I just felt…angry, confused, shocked…all at once.

He laid limply across a piece of a broken gurney, his sightless eyes exposed to the darkening sky. His lab coat was torn and burnt, the white fabric blackened at the ends, and the left sleeve completely gone. A stream of blood coming from his mouth stained his goatee, his mouth frozen in a ghost of a smile. He must have died instantly, I thought, for it to still be in that expression. Not that it was in any way a comfort.

"Is that…" Skylar stared in horror at the scene before her. When she finished her sentence, her voice broke and tears began to stream down her face. "Horace?"

"Who could have done this?" Oliver looked as shocked as I felt.

For a long time now, Horace had taken on the role of a father-figure for all of us. Dani and Oliver never saw their father, Skylar didn't have one, and mine was constantly busy with my other siblings, so the way Horace treated us, with respect and, dare I say it, love, had meant everything to us. And now, the one man we all truly looked up to lay dead at our feet. This just…it couldn't be happening. This had to be some sort of nightmare, a bad dream that I could wake up from, right? This couldn't be real.

But the way Dani hid herself from the truth in my arms, and the sounds of Skylar trying not to cry, and Oliver's pained stare told me that this was, in fact, reality. "They're going to pay. Whoever did this, they're going to get justice."

We weren't heroes, we were kids. But, by the looks of this war zone, we might be the only ones left who could avenge the others. So if we had to grow up and become the heroes our friends needed us to be, so be it. But justice would be served, if it was the last thing we ever did.

 **Xxx**

 **Kihonne: …So, yeah. I did that. I killed Horace, and Benny. Sorry guys, but it had to be done. And hey, at least it's the last bad thing that'll happen in 2016, right? (I know that the joke was lame and not funny, but I really needed to say it).**

 **Anyway, I just wanted to say that it has been an absolute pleasure writing for you guys. I have loved every minute of this story, and I hope you guys have enjoyed it just as much. You were some of the best readers I've ever had, and you have been so patient and understanding when I couldn't update on time, which I hate to say happened far too often. I have adored your reviews, and how encouraging you all were, so I wanted to say thank you.**

 **For those of you who are disappointed that the story is over, never fear. The Power of Seven, the next story in the series, will be up on January 9** **th** **, and we will get to see Dani, Oliver, Skylar, and Kaz join Calla, Chase, and Bree for their greatest adventure yet. I will also be posting a companion story, Love and War, sometime in mid-march, and I think you're all going to really like that one too. I hope to see you all when I start posting those, so until then, have a happy new year, and a wonderful 2017!**


	36. Announcement!

**Kihonne: Hey everyone! I know I said that The Power of Seven wouldn't be up until the 9th, however, I figured I'd give you all a treat and post it early! It's up now! And yes, Dani, Kaz, Oliver, and Skylar are all in it! Seriously, check it out!**

 **And if you haven't yet, I also suggest you check out The Lab Assistant. It's the first installment of the series, taking place a couple of years before this story, and it's where we get to see Calla, Chase, and Bree's adventures before they join the Elite Force.**


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